Obsolete
by Kogoro
Summary: HGSB The Timeturner theory put down in a version of near death experiences, a maybe pointless journey back in time and will everything be restored to it's right place? Turning into something very angstdriven, fun and so much more!
1. It Began In Grimauld Place 12

_Hey guys! I'm baaack… Back in Black!_

_Never thought I would experience the need for writing down an idea ever again. After Indiana Jones it just felt so… final. Like I had nothing more to give, but then the bunnies caught me, and guess what? I got the best idea ever for a Hermione x Sirius story! And I've been contemplating a lot over the most used plotline of these kinds of fics, "The Timeturner Theory" as I like to call it. It's not a bad idea so I thought "What the hell! My idea just puts it in perspective!" _

_Please enjoy and hope you've all had a good Easter!_

_Disclaimer: I have never met that woman…_

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**Obsolete**

1st Chapter "It Began in Grimauld Place 12…"

"Never say never Harry... You might think that doing this makes her safer, but truly it doesn't," Hermione spoke, unwaveringly as she put down her book and looked at her friend. "She's just as unhappy as you are, and if you truly want her to be secure, the only way she would, is with you, _not_ without you…" She couldn't keep count of how many times she had uttered those words to that boy…

He sighed loudly and looked pleadingly in Ron's direction, mouthing, "Help," and the same could be seen in his dark, green eyes, but Ron could only fill out the part of the silent spectator. In this matter he had almost nothing to say really; in the beginning there was no end to his questions of Harry's decision but the subject had faded away as time passed by, and Ron clearly had no words left to say. Harry's determination did not falter even though Ron was naïve enough to try getting him to think otherwise…

It had not lasted long, the relationship between his best friend and Ginny, and quite a shame too. Seeing them together had somehow made Ron cheerful. He had felt happy for Ginny cause she'd finally found someone he had approved of, and happy for Harry, cause you gotta admit, that boy really needed some reassurance in his life.

But it came to an end at that funeral... Harry had made a bitter choice and walked away from the very thing he needed most; Ginny.

"Harry… Would you please just open that letter?" Hermione asked gently, holding back the irritated tone in her voice.

Harry looked down at yellowish parchment, letting one hand gently trace the uneven surface of the paper, feeling pressure against his fingers on the places where _she_ had written sentences, imploring words that asked him all sorts of stuff, but he never knew what she wrote to him, kept writing to him about. She had sent over a hundred of these yellow letters and he had not opened a single one.

'Damn that girl is untiring!' Harry thought to himself as he put down the paper, letting a vague memory of Ginny's smiling face flash past his conscience, making Hermione sigh loudly for who knows what time…

"Harry…" she said, pleading to her greatest ability possible. "You're hurting her. Please say something, write her back!" Harry could only look up at her with those dark eyes, serene and collected, but she did not falter, true Gryffindors never do. Ron had vanished from sight; he somehow always did when it sometimes came to this.

"You can't just leave her on the hook like that! Don't you understand? She would be much safer if she was with you!" Hermione shouted across the table.

Harry's reaction was wift as he stood, the chair clattering somewhere on the floor as he replied forcefully: "If she was with me, _HE_ would target her. I won't be the one to lead her to her death." His tone was not that of yelling, but he said it with such anger in the whisper of his voice, that it could only serve to frighten his friends.

Ron, still a spectator sat between them, could only stare at their flushed faces and panting intakes of air. He was growing tired, they were all tired and he could only look as Harry did what he always did; steady and cold he would become, and when he did he was not Harry, not the one they knew, but something else entirely.

And Hermione would get afraid. Its existence was all too apparant in every breath and glowed out of her eyes with a ghostly hue. She couldn't hide the fear that chilled her veins as it made the room appear smaller, and she'd flee from the place, run out of the kitchen like she always did, leaving Ron alone with Harry who wasn't Harry.

**5 min's later**

She let her form lean on the wall, sliding down to rest on the wooden floor. 'Why do I never learn?' she asked herself. 'He's so much stronger than I'll ever hope to be. He's The Chosen... So why do I keep trying?'

The easiest way to explain was that she was a Gryffindor, but still there was something that couldn't help disturb her in between thoughts and dreams. The pain Harry must feel, letting Ginny go.

The trouble was just that she hadn't the slightest idea of how much pain this decision brought him. She had never felt love, not like Harry and Ginny had. With the satisfaction she had in reading books and the urge to stretch out for as much information as possible... Well, she simply didn't have time for boys. Once she had thought it over when a boy looked at her in a somewhat funny staring way, but she just came to the decision that she would not think of that kind of stuff, it was too much to worry about and besides; Hermione Granger didn't take huge interest to the boys at Hogwarts because, put very simply, they weren't worth her time.

Still, she felt sorry for Harry. One thing she could see was that this shattered relationship literally put cracks in her friend's strong but frail heart. She had never seen someone so broken. God's knew he needed that girl.

Hermione fingered her Timeturner; it hung loosely in a string around her neck. The surface was warm by almost always being in touch with her skin. She could hear Ron leaving the kitchen; he went up the stairs and past Hermione without even noticing her.

'This house's dwellers has finally succumbed to the bitterness and depression that would befit someone living here…' Hermione thought to herself, sighing as she heard Ron close the door to his room.

She stood up and went to her own room, grabbing a picture standing on her window frame.

She could not help but look at the thing she wished for, more than anything in the world.

At the moment Harry was trying to pin Ron to the floor while Hermione was standing beside them, cheering Harry on. What had happened to make The Infamous Trio fall so much apart? Harry... Again she fingered her Timeturner. A distant memory hovered into her mind. A memory of Harry's godfather.

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_She had been so surprised to see his face in the blaze of all those cheering golden- and red-coloured faces, jumping up and down, shouting Harry's name at the top of their lungs. Sirius Black had insistently ignored her shocked expression, taken one of her hands into his large ones, and dragged her away from the crowds of students that cheered Harry on for catching the Snitch. She was quite young at the time but she never forgot what he had demanded of her._

_Getting close to the outskirts of the forrest, he stopped, letting go of her and looked around, making sure that no one was in sight or range to hear anything. It gave her enough time to examine his tall and rugged form. From his long, filtered, hair that got in the way of his grey eyes and down to his thin, pale hands he just soaked of charisma and magnetism that made him seem so fascinating and even more frightening, all at once. _

"_Hermione?"_

_His grey eyes focused on her, received her full attention.He looked at her thoughtfully, making Hermione confused and taken aback somewhat because he'd never done that before. What did he want? He surprised her yet again by laying a hand on her shoulder and bowing his head closer to hers. Her breath caught in her throat as she stiffened, afraid of the mans sudden, unpredictable actions._

"_Dementors are lurking around these grounds in every nook of darkness Hermione," he whispered, not letting her go of his steady grasp. "Now, you are the brightest witch I've ever met and one of Harry's best friends, so I demand you too protect Harry. Keep him away from any harm, and for Gods sake keep him happy!" He breathed out, sighing. "Okay?"_

_She had responded with a confused look and was just about to ask him out of what he knew, but Sirius stopped her, holding a hand over her mouth. "Just do it Hermione, only say that you will promise me this," he said forcefully, his grey, intense eyes digging into hers. 'This is the face of a madman' she had thought at the time. But she had promised. He had searched her eyes over and after a moment of uncertainty he nodded hastily and let go of her, walking away with swift steps, leaving her all alone on the grounds._

_ "I promise to protect Harry and keep him happy…"_

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...She had failed.

A pain in her chest and a bitter taste in her mouth made her clench the Timeturner in her hand, but she did not know the frailty of these effects. It broke.

It felt like she was locked in a box, everything around her became shadowy and when she touched the sides of the walls they felt glasslike. A dizzying pain became noticeable in the back of her head and her eyes turned up, making all the whiteness stand out; a horrifying picture for those who might have walked by and seen her.

The last thing she could make out was swirling colours and a distant and transparent face with dark, almost black eyes.

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**_A.N. First chapter, but more to come. I'll just pray for the reviews to come pouring in. But I won't give out cookies! Just so you know… I've always found the idea of handing out nonexistent treats a bit unfulfilling… _**

**Kogoro**


	2. Lock, Stock and Barrel

_**Imagine Ross from Friends and then listen to me right now: "…Hi" **_

**Disclaimer: I know many people think that disclaimers sucks, but you have to do them; I finally realized that. I know Warner Brothers owns all the rights to The Harry Potter Universe and that Joanne Kathleen Rowling gets a certain percentage of all the earnings, but I'm not receiving money for writing this, and the only thing I own is the plotline, among many other writers in this beautiful Haven…**

**Oi! This chapter is dedicated to my first reviewer for this story, you know who you are! (:whispers: "amrawo")**

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**Obsolete**

2nd Chapter "Lock, Stock and Barrel"

"Ron?" Harry asked, knocking on the door. Soon after it cracked open. Ron stood in the doorway with ruffled hair. The last couple of hours he had tried to sleep, but had found it hard to drift into dreamland, it was never quite easy to forget those verbal fights between his two best friends.

And that was exactly how Ron was feeling now, uneasy as he silently wondered if Harry was back to his old self. Harry saw the nervous expression on his best friend's face and forced a little smile. "Don't worry Ron, I'm back…" he said and pushed past him to fall unto the messy bed with a slight thump. Ron looked at his friend. 'Maybe there's still hope for The Trio, but for now' he thought, 'he's back to normal'.

"Ron! Could you please close the door, it's like living in Alaska in here!" Harry said, trying to crawl under a blanket.

That little sentence brought forth a smile of Ron's own as he closed the bedroom door, forgetting about Hermione for the moment.

/Somewhere else entirely…/ 

She was still falling, but where she did not know. The panic had long gone, as had the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. It had been so long now that it almost felt like flying, but then she caught herself not analysing the situation. A thing she usually couldn't do enough of. What had happened to her Timeturner? Where was she heading? And who was it she had seen a glimpse of before she blacked out, and awoke to this?

The brown eyes where instead trying to focus on all the whirling colours of the rainbow, but the throbbing in the back of her head wasn't making it easier. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to make it all sink in and suddenly, very suddenly, her head hit something hard and her legs where sent flailing about, landing on a rock hard surface in the worst manner possible. She didn't even have time to open her eyes before the sound of something breaking reached her ears.

And then, she blacked out before she could be sickened by the breaking of her own bones.

Everything was serene, and everything went absolutely still.

_Someone was screaming, a girl's voice, but why was she screaming? Pounding footsteps, the slow beating of her heart, a laboured breath, her breath. It was all so intense in her head. Why?_

_Why was she soaked? She felt cold all over, drained of energy as she tried to move her leg, eyes still closed, but why couldn't she move? More footsteps._

"_What is this?" she murmured, slowly opening her eyes, something sticky was keeping her eyelids closed. The sensations in her body was confusing, she felt heavy and light at the same time, but why did she have no control of her body? Even more footsteps, people shouting at each other._

_At first everything was white, but slowly a deep red flowed into her vision._

"_She's alive!" someone burst out._

_And suddenly, while everyone was shouting, the ground reverberating through her body, it dawned upon her as everything stood painstakingly clear, just what that deep red was, and where it came from. She panicked, tried to scream but it only came out as muffled sobs as every movement of her body, began sending uncontrollable lightnings of pain up her spine. _

_Someone touched her face and tried holding her still, but she cried harder, trying to cry for help when a hand was laid on her belly, a sharp pain from shattered ribs. "Stop… don't… don't touch…" she whimpered, trying to breathe while wild sounds of desperation made their way up her throat._

"_Stay still" a male's voice said, and if she had been fully conscious, she would have heard the ill-hidden panic in his voice, but of course, she didn't. Instead she heard an incantation and found her head getting foggy with an un-see-through mist. The world once again went black._

Another's POV 

His hands where getting clammy, as everything seemed so… irrelevant right now. He brushed away the black hair, getting in the way of his sight. 'Why can't I get that picture out of my head?' he silently wondered, leaning against the back of the chair, trying to block out the mental picture of a bloodied girl, laying sprawled in the middle of a dim lit corridor.

"_Stop… don't… don't touch…" she had whimpered…_

He felt restless, trying to think on anything else anything else but _her. _Even though he was as desperate as he was, _she _just wouldn't get out of his head!

Sighing, he sat up right, looking down the hallway for any signs of life, something to keep his mind preoccupied.

If he had known that when he had awoken that morning, would step out of the portrait hole and find that bloody redhead running towards him, screaming at him:" Help! There's a girl who's injured!" If he had only known what he would find in that eerie corridor… He would probably just stayed in bed a little longer.

"Stop… don't… don't touch…" 

For the umpteenth time that morning he rubbed his hands in his robes. There had been so much blood, so much blood as he had never seen before, and when he had hesitantly touched her, he sure wished he hadn't. The slight feel of her skin was what had scared him the most, not the skin itself but what he had felt underneath it. Sharp pieces of bone and a profoundly up sped heartbeat, felt through a thick layer of almost dry blood as it had looked like the girl had been lying there for a while.

He shuddered involuntarily, automatically thinking of the pain she must have felt, and perhaps still was feeling at the moment. But he could do nothing but wait out in the hallway, while _she _was under heavy treatment. The only reason he was even still allowed there was because he had been the on to bring her to the hospital wing.

So there he sat, on the only chair in the empty hallway, still covered in _her _blood, and waited, grey eyes once in a while searching to look through the brushed glass of the door to the hospital wing.

"Please live…" he silently whispered, trying to strangle the coherent voice in his head that said, chances where that she wouldn't.

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**A.N. And there… done. I wanted to write so much more, but I didn't really know what else to write. Had no idea that it would be so difficult to get out of a writers block (Now I know… huh…) I've already started on next chapter and if there's any ideas as to what to do next with the story, your criticism and ideas will be valued!**

**I think you all've already guessed who the boy sitting in the hospital wing is, now haven't you?**

**Roady will be back on the prowl in _no_ time!**


	3. Craziness and Red Butterflies

_**Disclaimer: There's already a disclaimer in the first chapter and that one also counts for the following, so for the last time: Warner Brothers owns the rights to Harry Potter and Joanne still makes money on publishing the books, and therefore I own nothing, I'm normal that way.**_

"**Crazy" by Alanis Morisette**

a man decides after seventy years

that's what he goes there for, is to unlock the door

while those around him criticize and sleep…

and through a fractal on a breaking wall

I see you my friend, and touch your face again

Miracles will happen as we dream

But we're never gonna survive, unless

We get a little crazy

No, we're never gonna survive, unless

We are a little…

**Why have I never heard that beautiful voice before? You know, that is a good question. I don't know the answer, but I know that it's a mistake that can be remedied. So with no further ado, here you have your next chapter!**

_**Here we go!!**_

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Given to you from** OBSOLETE**

3rd Chapter "Craziness and red butterflies"

_Everything was so dark, so tired she was. A dim lit corridor materialized before her eyes. She was walking down it, gently running a hand along the surface of doors, walls, paintings covered with cloth, trying to guide herself through the shadows. The other arm hanged at her side, like it was without life. _

_She was stumbling. Her breath laboured. Through her clouded mind she vaguely noticed the entire left side of her body, the side with her motionless arm, where soaked._

_She breathed in the scent, a copperish taste in her mouth, but she paid no heed to it all, she couldn't even feel what she was sure that she was supposed to feel at that moment._

_The end of the hall, but it didn't end blindly, there were stairs, leading down further. Soft creaking as she balanced her way down, and yet another dark corridor, lit only by an unseen moon. She was searching for something, didn't know what she was searching for._

_But then something caught her unfocused eyes, seeing a little snip of light underneath a doorframe. Her heartbeat quickened at the mumbled voices. _

"_But that bludger hit me dead on! Trust you not to see it, so preoccupied with that stupid Snitch…"_

"_I'm supposed to be 'preoccupied' with the Snitch, else we wouldn't have won that game!"_

_**There wasn't far to that godforsaken door, just a few feet. It felt like her feet became heavier. Harry? Ron?**_

_An audible bump of someone heavy, falling to the floor, obviously unprepared._

"_You git! Can't even stay upright in your own bed!" Someone laughing._

"_Why you! You pushed me! I'm gonna get you for this!!"_

**_She was absentmindedly thinking 'I must be dreaming' There was never any fun in the trio after what had happened._**

"I bet you're tactic is to go tell Hermione and have her scold me so you can be as lazy as you always are" "Don't you talk big, then I'll just have to shut you up!" The throwing of pillows. 

_**The door was opening, she was so close now, why then couldn't she move? The growing light from behind the door blinded her, cutting into her eyes. Harry? Ron?**_

"…_Hello…"_

_**She opened them.**_

Hermione heard someone gasping. She immediately turned her heard to see who, but the awful headache and the strain of her unused eyes made her gasp. She closed them again, feeling the throbbing in her numb skull. 'If this is how it is to have a hangover, I swear, I'll never touch another butterbeer again' she thought as she searched her memory. But she couldn't find any entry of anyone ever handing her something to drink, instead she remembered.

As everything stood painfully clear, she traced her last remembrance of seeing Harry who wasn't Harry, of Ron walking past her without noticing her presence, the picture of The Golden Trio, but also, the broken Timeturner…

Her heart skipped a beat.

"…Hello…" a squeaky voice said weakly. She opened her eyes again, and this time took her time to turn her head, as she discovered that there wasn't a part of her body that didn't hurt when being moved.

It was morning, that much she could figure. Wooden ceiling and white walls. 'Where am I' she thought. There was a boy, cause you could not call this midget anything but. Her eyes slowly started to focus as she replied with a raspy voice: "H…ello…"

'Was that boy wearing Hogwarts clothes?' Hermione wondered silently as the first thing she noticed was the robes of a Gryffindor-student, the neatly-made patch of the lion sewed onto black cloth, the vain attempt to tie a red and golden-coloured tie, but then she lifted her eyes to his face, and got the shock of her life.

_Ordinary brown hair, pointy nose, running eyes and a constant shuffling of feet while she heard the muttering and pleading voice, begging her: "Pretty girl, such a pretty smart girl, you wouldn't let them kill me would you? I'm nice, I can be good"_

_It took a moment, but only a moment……Wormtail… _

One blinding moment of rage as she let the remembrance of betrayal, poison her heart, as if she had been the one that _he_ had betrayed. One moment where she let go out all the frustration and forgot the rules, one moment where she actually thought she could justify her actions.

No wonder she acted as she did. In one moment the boy was sitting guardedly in the chair by her bed, and in a flash he was on the stone floor of the hospital wing, terrified by the enraged teenager with her hands around his neck, trying very much to strangle him.

But she couldn't. Not that she didn't want to, cause nothing else in the world would please her more than to see Pettigrew dead by her hands. But still she couldn't. If not for the searing pain in her stomach and the weakened state of her body, she would have succeeded, even though she did put up a fight with the helpless boy who was too weak himself to even push her off.

She coughed uncontrollably at the pain, making it's way upwards to her throat, feeling she couldn't breathe, but still she persisted. What brought her to her knees was the sound of someone else running towards them. "Stop that girl! Are you completely mad? Let him go at once!" a female's piercing voice interrupted. She didn't notice the nurse, there was no other purpose for her right now than to end that pain she had lived with for so long now, the pain caused by _him._

She never got to finish what she'd started; it wasn't even the nurse who made it so. All she knew was that suddenly she was yanked from the boy on the cold floor, into someone else's arms. She let out a shriek in pain as her broken arms where grasped roughly, but as fast as she had been manhandled by this person, just as fast it became much more gentle, almost like that person, perhaps a boy, was… cradling her?

Her anger disappeared like a disintegrating fog, and through that fog, she lifted her migrained head too see who exactly was holding her. "Sirius?" she asked, confused as those grey eyes looked worriedly down at her. The world turned black too fast as she went dry of adrenalin.

**Wow… I'm quite stunned, I say… How the hell could I have missed that such articulation was hidden inside my head? Now that's a thinker…**

When everything has calmed down somewhat

His thoughts were in turmoil. 'Why did she jump Pete and try to strangle him?' but what he thought about the most, was the look of recognition and startlement her eyes had showed. But when he had never seen her before, how could she know him? Not even mentioning that she also knew his name!

'Why do I have the feeling that I should know her?' he asked himself with furrowed brows.

The hollow echo of his slow steps along the corridor, where drowned out by the shouting of other students at the sound of the bell ringing to lunch. "Oi, mate! Where have you been this wonderful evening?" a boy shouted at him. Sirius fixated a glare at him. "Not the time, Prongs", he said and turned to head down to the hospital wing again.

"Sirius?" a feminine voice asked. He turned slightly to look at the bushy redhead, appearing beside his best friend. She looked worriedly at him for a second, then asked as the Know-it-all-see-it-all she was, "Has she opened her eyes yet?"

"What girl?" James interjected, earning a bump on the head. " 'scuse me, what' I do?" he asked, rather hurt when Lilly only shushed him.

Sirius let out a sigh he didn't know he was holding. "… She was awake a moment ago, but passed out again" He looked as his friends eyes lit up. "Did she say something?" he heard someone say behind him. Remus stood leisurely up against the wall, an expecting look in his eyes. Sirius shook his head. "She say thanks?" Prongs asked, but was hit in the stomach by Lily's elbow. "Will you just shut up, Potter!" she said, threatening him. James backed down. "Whoa! Sorry Evans…" he said, ruffling his hair while moving to a safe distance from the fuming virago.

Sirius and Remus shared a knowing glance. "No she hasn't said anything…", and then startled everybody by giving a hearty laugh that made him cramp to the floor.

"…Padfoot, you're kinda freakin' us out here" James said stupidly, once more earning a kick on the shin from Evans. "Hey! could you please stop hitting me! if you wanna touch me all the time, you could be more gentle, I'm not THAT thick you know!"

"Oh, and I would have thought you incapable of describing yourself so well!" Lily retorted angrily, flipping her hair forward to hide an evident blush, which of course went unnoticed by the exasperating lad who was currently robbing his sore leg, forgetting all about the fury that was called Evans and the reasoning as to why they where suddenly alone in the hallway.

Gryffindor Tower

"If Prongs wasn't so dense, he would have kissed that girl long time ago" Sirius said to Remus, walking through the Fat Lady's portrait and into the common room. "You forget the fact that Evans might not allow it, hm?" Remus said, throwing himself on one of the couches. "I disagree, if we just keep leaving those two behind like this, they're bound to see some sense!" Sirius said, scaring of some three-years in the process of making a chair available.

Remus noticed that he was still shaking his head, laughing internally. "And while that's all mighty fascinating, could I bother you enough to tell me what you where laughing about earlier?" He asked, eyebrows in the air.

The question made Sirius look sombre. He sat up straight and looked out into the air. "That girl…"

"Oh, so it's the girl again" Remus interjected but kept quiet when Sirius shot him a devastating glance, like he would just keep it a secret. "I did a foolish thing. I made Pettigrew watch over her…"

"What did he do to her?" Remus asked confused. Sirius sighed. "He didn't do anything. It was her. As soon as she opened her eyes and saw him, she flung herself out of bed and tried to strangle him"

"What..? Does Pete know her?" Remus asked, breaking Sirius's current line of thought. "Hmm…? Yeah, no he didn't know who she was. He was shaking and too incoherent to understand, so I let Pomfrey take care of him, and put her back to bed…" Remus's brow furrowed. "What else happened?" he asked very grave.

"She knew my name, Mooney. How could she know my name?.."

Remus sat back and rested in the sofa. "Perhaps it means nothing. She could have heard it at the time of the accident. With all those students shouting at you, it must have somehow stuck in her sub consciousness" he said, noticing the sudden movement from Sirius as he said 'accident'.

"Don't talk about that, Mooney. I don't want to hear any of it!" Sirius said forcefully, frightening a bunch of first-year girls in the process. "The only thing that matters is that you saved her, and she is only alive because of you" Remus said, following Sirius who had begun walking up to their sleeping floor. "It doesn't matter" Sirius said over his shoulder as Remus closed the door behind him.

"She's going to have to hear it eventually. Madame Pomfrey cant explain her injuries just like that. She'll be wonderin' how long she's been out, and how she's come to still be alive after suffering such damages. As she knows you and as it is you who saved her, it should be you who tell her" Remus said.

"But… There was just so much blood and-"

"Oi, Padfoot! Mooney! You gotta come hear this!" James shouted as he slammed the door, oblivious to the tension in the air.

As he started talking about what glorious things had happened after him and Lily had been left alone, Remus sent Sirius an emphasizing look, but Sirius just looked away.

The Hospital Wing

She moaned slightly, her surroundings becoming clearer by the second and flooding memories returning to be pondered upon. It went all too fast, too fast for her too process, so she simply took it all as too be true, okay even… Forgetting, for now, the consequences.

_I'm here in the hospital wing on Hogwarts, I've injured myself as it seems, quite thoroughly actually. And I've had a run-in with a younger Black who seemingly saved my life, and a meeting with the traitor Peter Pettigrew. I've traveled 30 years give or take into the past, and I have no idea how to get back. Okay… Must make all of this fit into my head and form a conclusion as to how I'm gonna get home…Processing… sigh, but first I need to sleep…_

That was a wish that had to go unfulfilled, because suddenly her ears perked at the sound of someone speaking, coming in her direction.

"When should we tell her of the circumstances, Dumbledore?" a high-pitched female's voice said. She could hear a sigh from her supposable headmaster. "For now she shall only focus on recovering. Whatever lurks in the corners of her mind, we will leave for the young Black to explain, my dear Polly"

"But Albus, he is very shaken from this experience. And who is there to say what he would put the girl through. He would certainly give her some trouble if she is to stay" Madame Pomfrey retorted with a serious, motherly tone in her voice.

"You have idle faith in the boy, but let him have your trust, for I know that somewhere inside that heart of yours, you have a soft spot for the notorious Sirius Black" Albus replied, and there was no protest from his fellow female college.

"She will be just fine, so there's really no need for you to worry so much, Polly"

"Now you stop it, Albus. If I didn't take my job seriously as I do, there would be many more angry parents, suing us for treating the students poorly" she retorted, gaining some ground again.

"Very true, Polly. You are the one that keeps this school going" Dumbledore said, with an inch of irony in his voice.

But the conversation stopped there as they where closing in on her bed. She felt a brattled and aged hand on her forehead, and felt compelled to open her ill-used eyes. Very carefully examining the not-so-old looking headmaster, and equally careful in speaking something that could go against the strict rules of timetravelling. She needn't say anything as it was Dumbledore who chose the moment to speak to her.

"Now, miss. Perhaps you could tell me were you came from?"

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_**Damn! I cant remember what Albus usually calls Madame Pomfrey. It's no fun to be a Dane and having to read the books in danish. Its gone all screwy when the characters names also changes…**_

_**Anyway! Thank you for reviews, and thank you for your patience, even though you've probably forgotten. And if you've read this far then: Thank You!**_

_**Roady ;)**_


	4. The Matter Of Panicking

**A/N – I would strongly advise people if they haven't already done so, to take another look at chapter three, as it has just been added in length. And with those matters set aside, please enjoy this next instalment of Obsolete! ;)**

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Given to you from – **Obsolete**

4th Chapter "The Matter of Panicking"

"Please, Dumbledore. My head hurts, so is it really necessary that I repeat my story again?" Hermione asked in irritation, as she tried to move her hand to screen from the sun, but just trying to move it, was too much of an effort.

"Miss Granger, you have been through quite an ordeal, so I would suggest that you keep absolutely still and let Polly take care of you. We will go through this at another time, hmm?" the headmaster said, looking wonderingly out behind his spectacles. "Now, let me go close those curtains for you my dear" He stood up and turned his back on the injured girl.

"Mr. Dumbledore? What should I do now?" she asked hesitantly. "Whatever do you mean?" she could hear him ask, knowing the answer.

She couldn't really give voice to her mind at the moment, it was full of constricting thoughts that made her eyelids heavy just by thinking of them.

"If you are worrying about the uses of your sparetime, then do not fret, my dear. The young man that rescued you will appear here shortly to keep you company"

Her heart jumped at his words, but it seemed as if Dumbledore chose in a very subtle manner to ignore the reaction in the young girl. He simply drew the curtains, and left Hermione in a state of terror. She didn't know how to feel about the fact that she was going to see Sirius Black again! A feeling of both dread and elation rammed through her confused heart. Of course she had seen him in those few moments before, but that was merely a statement that she recognized him, and the realization had no time to enter her mind as it went black. But how should she act. In her time he had been dead for almost two years! Just the thought of what she could change with her appearance in his time! It brought with it a demoralizing understanding. She couldn't do anything about what the future would bring. Sirius had to die. Harry had to lose his parents, but not only that. Of all the history she knew of the dark times yet to come, of all the people that she knew would die, of all the lives she could save, but at what cost? She would never finish the thought.

She heard footsteps coming towards her, and in a moment's panic she thought it was him. They came closer and closer while she felt her heart pound in her head, trying desperately to think what to do in the current situation.

When the footsteps stopped behind the curtain she could hear a girl's voice, obviously talking to herself. "Okay, just breathe…" she said and walked past the white linen but stopped when she saw Hermione's pale face and wide eyes.

She went "Oh… I just.. Dumbledore said you where awake, and I just… I just wanted t-to see if you where feeling better?" she said, worried that the girl's expression didn't calm. Hermione recognized her instantly, the bushy redhead that she resembled so much, in appearance as much as in character. She was awe-struck. This was Harry Potter's mother, in her youth. Hermione vaguely realized that by this time Lily Evans didn't even like her future husband. Professor Lupin had told her that once. Lily only saw the blankness of her eyes, and repeated her question.

"Are you feeling better?" she asked, and Hermione finally was able to respond. "I'm better", and then added so she wouldn't get suspicious, "Who are you?"

Lily seemed to relax a bit more after that and introduced herself. "My name is Lily Evans, head-girl of Gryffindor. I was…" she tensed up a bit. "I was the one who found you when you first… arrived…" she said and looked away, like she reminisced something bad.

"Hello Lily" Hermione replied and stared at her as she sat down. They where silent for a while, Hermione because of her troubling secrets and Lily because she wasn't sure how to speak to this girl because of their unusual first meeting.

"You know… " Lily started while fingering her robe and picking on the Gryffindor patch. "The boy who found you… his name is Sirius Black"

'I know' Hermione thought but replied, "Who is he? One of your friends?" she asked, feeling excessively dumb for playing dumb. Lily crinkled her nose at this. "You don't know him?. He told me that you said his name one time when you woke up" she said and moved the chair closer to Hermione's bed. She didn't know what to say, what to tell her, instead she gave a sigh and said, "Heh, lucky guess. He looked familiar"

"Then you must know the family name. The Blacks have always been known for their dislike towards muggleborns. They… Well.. Of course Sirius is not like his family, else he wouldn't have gone to Gryffindor, but… sorry, I'm just blabbering…" Lily said and blushed for the unusual lack of tact. She looked away when she noticed Hermione stare at her. Hermione couldn't believe it. Lily Evans, soon to be dating James Potter and becoming Mrs. Lily Potter was sitting in front of her, alive and talking. It brought a dizzying sensation to her head and she interrupted the girl when she had started talking again because of nervous atmosphere…

Hermione could not think of anything to say to the girl although she was bursting with questions. She felt it best to keep low-profile and try not to get entangled in any of this time's events. It would be to dangerous to do so. Also, she felt as if there was something that Lily was keeping from her.

They sat in an awkward silence for a while, until Hermione asked silently, "I'm glad that you came to check up on me, but don't you have classes now?"

Lily stopped fingering her skirt and looked at Hermione with shock. "Oh, I… I have to go right now!" she said in rushed tones and slung her bag over her shoulder. "I'm really sorry I couldn't stay and chat but I'll be back again tonight, and then I'll bring Sirius and the others so you can meet them!"

By the time she was finished shouting this, she was so far away from Hermione that she weren't around to see the paleness that plastered her skin at the mentioning of Sirius Black.

Any act that she committed in this time could have devastating consequences on the future. Perhaps Lily and James would never get married if she made a wrong move and not to mention the fact that she had to see Sirius who was dead in her own time. She wanted to put a pillow over her head and scream. Else she just wanted to break down and cry because she had no idea what she should do. Alas, the tears wouldn't come.

After shouting and rumpling the sheets while trying to get out of bed in spite of agonizing pain, Madame Pomfrey came to rescue the day by giving her something to calm her nerves and make her sleep until she had calmed down. The last thing she thought before falling into another of those Dreamless Sleeps was that the next time she woke up, she would be looking into the faces of Lily Evans, Sirius Black and the rest of the Marauders…

There was no time for that thought to disturb her…

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**A/N There's been news of a young actor named James Walters who is to portray the young version of Sirius Black in Harry Potter and The Order of The Phoenix. I've always had trouble imagining how he looked like as a Hogwarts student, so this is good, no? **

**Installments will follow shortly, I promise ;)**


	5. Glances Drawn In Silence

**A/N ****I am sorry for the long wait, so feel free to send me a flamer asking me to get my butt in gear and write more chapters. Believe me, every comment is appreciated, so don't shy away from that Review-button when you're done, hmm?**

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Given to you from – **Obsolete**

**5****th**** Chapter "Glances Drawn In Silence"**

He had lived at Hogwarts for six years and knew every crook, every hidden hallway and most of the secrets that a place like Hogwarts had to offer, but at the moment, the walls didn't look anything but alike and he felt lost. If he didn't keep an eye on Remus in front of him, he'd walked smack into a wall. 'Lily had spoken to her' was all he could think. He had worried about her for so long and then she wakes up and talks to Lily like it was something she did everyday.

That girl had no idea what he had gone through the last months, how the only thing that kept him going, was the fact that Remus needed him when it was a night of the full moon. She haunted his every step while he vaguely fumbled his way through everyday troubles like James being in need of a Heimlich-manoeuvre if he had eaten too much. Or if Lily started another fight with James, then he had to break it off, or just being there for James when he wanted to play another prank. Even when he had to fight of the likes of Lucius and Snape.

It was with little notice of his surroundings he followed the group. Lily had told them that the girl had woken up and talked to her. She asked them all to come with her that night to the hospital wing as she had gotten permission from McGonagall herself. Sirius didn't like it. He had no idea of what to tell the girl, he wasn't even sure if he wanted to delve into those memories again.

Therefore, Sirius didn't even notice that he was actually already in the hospital wing, and he was standing not that far from Hermione's bed. Well, he was actually standing beside the bed, watching her sleep peacefully. Seeing her lie there peacefully, he could've been fooled to think that she was just sleeping naturally in her bed, not because of painkillers and the sleep-inducing-potions that she had to take before.

"Who do you think she is?" Remus whispered to Lily, standing on the other side of the bed. "She's a girl, you dolt!" James answered thoughtfully, before Lily could have a chance at nodding. "You're the dolt, you wanker" Remus whispered to the black-haired boy.

"Oi, what did I do? She's a girl and she's definitely not from around here!" James said, not caring to be quiet.

"Would you two stuff it!? She's trying to sleep!" Lily said, not taking her own advice. "Okay, just calm down!" Remus told them both in a high whisper and shushed them, but too late, Lily had already bonked James on the head. "Would you stop that!"

She looked so normal at the moment that the thought entered his mind that she was actually kind of pretty in a sort of unearthly way. It brought back memories though as he remembered the first time he saw her, but that was a picture so gruelling in his mind that he had to sit down; thankfully he landed in a chair nearby.

Somewhere, long away, she could hear shouting. Hermione fought to stay asleep as she had a bad feeling of what would happen if she opened her eyes. The shouting kept its ridiculous level of noise though, so eventually she couldn't feign sleep anymore. She opened her eyes, only to see Remus grabbing hold of Lily while James Potter couldn't be more confused as to what he had done wrong.

"Evans, take a breather for God's sake!" he shouted, still afraid of the redhead, even when she was restrained. "Calm down, Lily" Remus said to her and looked angrily towards James, "Would you stop that whining at once and make yourself invisible!"

James stared for a moment and then drew his wand. With a nod, he did as he was told. "Evanesco!" And he was gone from sight. Still his voice rang clear. "Is she calm now?" he asked stupidly.

"Do I look calm to you!" she shouted like some virago, and pulled a dirty move on Remus, hitting him in the stomach, so she could run towards James who had just started humming a tune, oblivious to the fact that she was guided by it to find him. What Hermione saw then was indeed stranger than usual; the redhead sprawled down on the floor, having her arms around something, invisibly trying to fight back, but it was obvious who was winning the fight. Before Lily had made final work of James, he was saved by Remus, getting a grip around Lilys waist, dragging her away. She muttered some words that made the boy appear once again. Remus stopped in his tracks. "You didn't have to rough him up that much, Lils"

Hermione could only stare open-mouthed, but not too much since she still had some pain, on Harry's idolized father. He didn't look good; his tie was on backwards, his clothes torn, but then their eyes met, and his face erupted in a goofy grin, only adding to the oddity of his attire at the moment. "Hi," he said, like they had known each other forever. Remus and Lily looked in James's direction, both with shocked expressions on their faces.

"Hello," Hermione said with a weak voice, trying to smile slightly to help the situation, but before she could say any more, Lily was by her side, grabbing her hand without noticing the jerk of pain it gave Hermione.

"We didn't mean to wake you; we just wanted to see how you were doing," her eyes full with worry while she grabbed a hand, that sent a shockwave of pain through her, but Hermione smiled through it. "It's okay Lily. It's not every day you see something like that…" she retorted, grinning at the horrified look on the girl's face. "I'm so sorry you had to see that. Really, I'm not like that at all!"

Hermione watched her for a moment. "Somehow I don't believe that…"

Before Lily could say anything more, Remus interrupted with his usual gallant approach, strikingly similar to the Remus Hermione remembered. "Hello, don't worry about Lily. She's only like this whenever James's around. I'm Remus by the way" he said, bowing his head slightly. James appeared behind Remus, reaching forth a hand. "I'm James, nice to meet you," but she didn't have time to try to reach his hand, because Lily was already all over him. "She can't move you idiot!" Lily spoke, letting go of Hermione's hand, sending another sharp pain up her arm, going for James.

"Why do you like touchin' me so much!? You can just ask!"

"Why won't you just shut it!?"

Remus smiled at Hermione, before he went away to break up another fight. And finally, with time to herself, Hermione looked for the fourth person missing, because she knew he was there in the room, but she just hadn't expected to find him openly staring at her.

He was not very far away, sitting in a chair with his hands in his lap, but when he caught her eyes, she couldn't escape them even if she had tried. And when looking into those grey eyes, there was something that told her of being lost, just like they were making her feel. It seemed as if time stood still and the staring went on for years on end, when finally he let his eyes drop, looking elsewhere.

Hermione could suddenly feel her heart pounding as she looked down on her own hands. It was too hard to comprehend, seeing him there, alive, living, and sitting in a chair across from her, life in his eyes. It was too much, because it couldn't be happening. It was impossible, and for once she felt like the few pieces she had collected of the puzzle was swept from her hands, so she had to begin from scratch again.

"Hey, are you okay?" She could vaguely hear Remus's voice beside her bed. She looked up at him, smiling when seeing a familiar face that wasn't dead, a face that actually belonged to a man she knew was still alive, though in a younger version…

"Oh my, that's right!" she could hear Lily say, walking past James, who didn't understand a thing. "You have to meet Sirius, he's the one that saved you!" and suddenly, Sirius came into view again when he was dragged to the bedside by Lily, but he didn't look at her.

All this gave Hermione quite a shock. She had thought it all a dream, but he had really been there; he had touched her stomach, had carried her, caught her, and that meant that if he was alive, there had to be something terribly wrong. She had seen him die when he floated away inside The Veil, and while the thought of him being her saviour was wonderful, she couldn't help but be terrified by it. "…Sirius…" Hermione whispered, without thinking about it.

And he looked up, noticing a hopeful glimmer of something in her eyes. Hermione soon realised the mistake when she saw the question forming in his eyes.

"What's your name?" James asked, and the moment was thankfully lost as the others asked the same. Hermione suddenly felt very small. Four people standing around her bed, all looking at her expectantly and she suddenly realised that she couldn't tell them her real name! So she thought hard, her mind racing with her heartbeat to find a name they'd believe.

"Do you remember it? You had a very serious concussion when you were found…" Remus said, looking at her with his brow in thought. She didn't know what to say. If they knew her real name there'd be more than a "haven't I seen you before?" when Hermione first went on the Hogwarts Express to go to her third year at Hogwarts, likewise when she first set eyes on Sirius, and then they'd demand to know what had gone wrong. Hermione looked around the room to find an escape, even though she knew very well that she couldn't move to it. Without wanting to do it, her eyes suddenly came to rest on Sirius's again, and he was once again eyeing her intently.

Far of, she could hear Remus turning away from the bed, suddenly talking to James. "I think they're gonna start serving dinner in The Great Hall soon," and if she'd seen the-crazed-man-look on James's face after that, she'd gotten a good grin, but she was occupied already, staring back at Sirius, but he broke the contact.

Sirius looked up at Remus who was about to leave them, when Lily had been following James for his rude manners of not excusing himself, and therefore left. "I'm afraid it's better if we talk at a more reasonable hour miss," he directed towards Hermione, evidently ignoring the daggers that Sirius was staring in his back. "I'll see you later, Padfoot," he finalized and left, also ignoring Sirius's both pleading and angry eyes.

Sirius cursed his back luck and his good-for-nothing friend. The last thing he wanted was to be left alone with the girl. It was a situation he dread, but hoped for all the same, for all those times when he'd sat by her bed, imagining what it would be like if she once opened her eyes.

"Sirius?" her voice ringed raspy in the night air behind him. He turned around to look her over as she was sitting half upright in bed. It was something else entirely than just watching her lying lifeless with her eyes closed in her endless sleep, because when awake, she was actually quite beautiful, if one looked past the bandages, ignored the healing scars and didn't take notice of the thick, black rings under her eyes from the tiring sleep.

Hermione was unnerved by his intent scrutinizing, but could breathe easy when he finally turned away again. She didn't really know what to say to him. The fact that he was alive still hadn't quite sunken in. She felt so many questions pressing at her in her numb skull but couldn't process it. That and the overhanging fear that she should speak of too much. There was too much she could not speak of without fear of changing the future. So she kept quiet, waiting for something, anything to break the silence between them.

"…How'd you know my name?"

She looked up to find him standing over at the window, his back towards her.

"Lily told me… She was very eager in telling me who my saviour was. I think she kind of looks up to you after what you did." Hermione knew that wasn't the best of explanations, but to her luck, he didn't press the matter.

He disregarded her compliment, instead asking; "Did she tell you what happened?" fearing that if she hadn't, he'd be the one to do it. Hermione shook her head, fixing imploring eyes upon Sirius who drew a sigh.

"All I remember are titbits… When I've thought I was awake, I was actually sleeping. Sometimes when I was awake, I even thought you were there…"

Sirius heard her in silence, a half smile appearing when she'd said that she remembered him. "You know, you attacked one of us," he said, eyeing her curiously for an explanation, but she said nothing, because what could she really say about Wormtail?

'Oh, I'm sorry, almost forgot to mention it; You know your friend, Peter Pettigrew, is actually gonna be the reason that your best friends die and that you get locked up in Azkaban for 12 years, and after that, die yourself'. Reciting it in her mind, she almost let it slip past her lips, but remembered herself before anything happened. Instead, she decided to ask him a harmless question, "How long have I been like this?"

Sirius left her bedside, going to sit in the nearest window frame. "I guess it's hard to understand, but… When you first showed up, we found you badly injured," he said, sighing. "You've been drifting in and out of consciousness for weeks now. They even had you brought to St. Mungo's for special treatment, because we were afraid that you wouldn't make it…"

Sirius stopped to look over at the girl, first now discovering the impact his words had upon her. Hermione's face had become dreadfully pale like the linen sheets of her bed. It brought Sirius back to her bedside once more. "Are you okay?" he asked worriedly.

But even if she could have said something, she was at a loss of words right now. Her chest felt rigid as lumps crawled up her throat, making her feel like crying right there and then. It would be so easy to just say it then and there, but her head was in such turmoil that she couldn't even find her voice. The disquieting facts remained that she had lost weeks of lying in an endless sleep, she was handicapped to such extent that she couldn't even lift a finger, and to top all of, she sitting there, being comforted by a dead man! Er… boy.

But she hadn't noticed that Sirius had actually taken both her hands into his own, so gently that she felt no string of pain. She looked down at their hands and gazed up at Sirius who was closer than ever and who simply couldn't get enough of looking at her.

_He was a dead man, that she knew, but she'd missed him._

"What's your name?" Sirius asked her, grey eyes almost dark in the late night. As he was now, and the state she was in, she felt that she couldn't deny him anything, even though all she felt like right now was crying.

_A name; anything would do… And then she suddenly remembered a girl from her year, a girl that had been sorted to Rawenclaw just before Ron had gotten the Sorting Hat placed on his head. A girl she'd never even talked too, and her name…_

"It's Lisa, Lisa Turpin…" Hermione answered with a faltering voice. She could see something settle for him in his eyes. Like a noticeable relief from a piece of the puzzle was falling into place for him now. "Lisa…" he tasted the name as his eyes shone with a renewed brightness. Hermione even saw a charming half smile appear on his face, but she couldn't return the gesture. That smile reminded her too much of the Sirius she'd known.

He noticed it and thinking it strange, he was just about to ask her of it, when they both heard footsteps echo through the vast room. Madame Pomfrey and Dumbedore's voices could be heard approaching them, and when Sirius saw them come around the curtain, he was surprised to feel Hermione slip her hands from his, looking calmly towards Dumbledore.

Dumbledore smiled behind his long silver beard and greeted them with great interest. "Young master Black," he said, making Sirius stand. "It is very thoughtful of you to visit the patient, but I think mr. Potter needs you down in the Great Hall," going over to whisper in his ear;" I think miss Evans have gotten quite passionate already…" and with that he looked to Hermione. "How is the patient this evening?" he asked over his moonlit, moon-shaped spectacles. Hermione nodded slightly, wanting Sirius to go as soon as possible, and Dumbledore read her thoughts so fast and true, she thought he was using Legilimens to access her thoughts.

"Young master Black, I'd like a moment alone with the patient," he said and stood by the bed. Sirius could do nothing but leave, still sending confused glances in Hermione's direction but she only kept her eyes fixed on the Headmaster.

And so, he left the Hospital Wing, escorted by Madame Pomfrey, and after she had closed the door, he was left to stand in the empty hall, leaning against a wall while being deep in thought. A strange sensation had taken him as soon as he'd taken her hands, and he knew not what it was. It had been his first chance to talk to her freely, and though he'd asked questions, she'd only served to mystify him even more than when she'd just been asleep.

At least he knew her name now and she wasn't just a girl who'd tumbled out of nowhere anymore; she was Lisa Turpin.

Sirius looked around, he'd better get down to dinner, else he might not find James at all as he could remember one unfortunate incident where the conniving witch had actually used a curse on him in front of everybody, that made big splotches of flammable rash erupt on his face, and she had been withdrawn points from Gryffindor and had even served a detention. The only episode where one had ever known the saintly, redheaded bookworm to have broken the rules. Therefore, it was with a sigh that Sirius checked where his wand was, and started walking towards the Great Hall.

**The Hospital Wing**

Hermione could venture from the smile on Dumbledore's face that he was happy that she had had the chance to meet Sirius Black, even though she herself thought it a doubt some honour indeed. "So Miss Granger, what shall I do with you?"

Hermione looked at him with confusion; how should she know?

"I don't know sir," she answered him honestly, thinking him the every bit eccentric for coming to see her, only to ask her that question. "One doesn't believe it, but tomorrow always comes looking brighter than that that came before," he said, sending her a soft glance. "So rest now Miss Granger, then we'll have a chat tomorrow," and with that, he leaned down to kiss her on the forehead in a fatherly manner. "I wish you happy dreams" and made ready to leave, but Hermione had to tell him something.

"Sir," she called and he turned. "My name actually isn't Hermione Granger, but Lisa Turpin"

Dumbedore nodded approvingly. "Then it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance Miss Turpin, I bid you goodnight for now," he answered and bowed, taking of his hat to accent his gentleman being.

Hermione watched him leave and laid her head back on the pillow, contemplating if she should fall asleep or stay awake to lay a strategy plan, but within minutes she could feel the drowsiness sneak in upon her, making her eyes flutter slightly and then let her fall into a deep sleep filled with dreams.

That night she dreamt of Sirius Black and his grey eyes, searching her out in the crowd, and without her being able to hide. If Madame Pomfrey had walked in to check on her patient, she would have noticed the little smile on Hermione's lips as she glided through her dream world.

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**A****/N I know I keep you waiting and only give you titbits in return for your patience, so to those who actually read this story; thank you and know you have my gratitude for sticking with it. I can't promise when I'll update, just that I'll try to live up to the demands. **

**For next chapter, I can reveal that it will entail much of Remus Lupin, as this story is also meant as a tribute to one of my favourite characters of the Harry Potter Universe. As J.K Rowling said, he is a teacher one have always wished to have had. He is also that for me, but in addition stands as a character I can identify myself with very much. How I mean that, you'll see in the next chapter, which is already almost finished ;)**


	6. One Fine Day Part 1

**A/N here we go again.**** I think I found something sweet ;)**

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Given to you from **Obsolete**

6th Chapter "One Fine Day – Part 1"

When Hermione opened her eyes, she felt well-rested and content. Her head was in the shadow of the sun, while she felt warm beneath the linen sheets, as the sun bathed her bed in soft morning light. She felt wonderful, awakening slowly with the smile she'd been wearing in her sleep, as though she had dreamed something incandescently happy. She shouldn't have felt wonderful in her current state but she did, and without thinking about it, she yawned loudly and moved her head to scratch it because of an itch, and then she froze. She could move her head freely! Without any sore muscles or pangs of pain giving her headaches. She marvelled as she tried moving her hand, twitching the fingers like she was playing a piano, and they played to her heart's content, without any notice of being immobile for weeks now.

She looked wonderingly down the length of her bed and with anticipation lumping in her throat; she shakily lifted one arm to drag the covers away, revealing her naked feet that were immediately warmed by the sun. She watched the toes in concentration as she gathered up courage to move them. They twitched and she almost gave a squeal of delight, already smiling from ear to ear.

Hermione flipped the covers off her body and scooted her legs out from the mattress so they hung loosely from the bed. She looked down at the stone floor that seemed so long away, and ignoring the voice that made her feel her body's frailty, she hopped down from the bed with a little push of her arms. She had no time to enjoy that the floor wasn't as cold as she'd imagined, but as soon as she thought she could stand, her knees buckled and with a shriek she fell.

Someone caught her shoulders from behind before she could lay sprawled on the ground and held her standing. Hermione opened her eyes and turned her head to come face to face with Sirius Black again. She must have made a funny expression as he was laughing at her, still holding her up. "Good morning Lisa," he said gallantly as he awkwardly tried guiding her over to her bed, urging her to sit down.

She sat on the mattress, looking disappointedly down on her insecure legs, sighing when it was first now that she felt the unveiled weak body that had been numb for too long now. Sirius noticed the downfall in her mood, and smiled compassionately. "You haven't moved for months, so what else did you expect to happen?" he asked her.

Hermione looked up, feeling better by the smile plastered on his face. "I don't know I just felt loads better when I woke up and…" she said, until she had a proper look at him, as he'd just walked straight into a sunbeam and she was lost to what she'd wanted to say. Seeing him for the first time in broad daylight was something else entirely than stolen glances in the night with only his eyes to light his face. It was indeed something else entirely as the only real feature of his face that she could recognise was the grey eyes. But even the eyes weren't those that she'd known of the ex-convict Sirius Black. She marvelled at the fact that he looked so innocent; as smart as the world was unknown to him, and with it, the terrors of living in it. The biggest change of all wasn't the fact that he was handsome; he'd always been, but that he could look her in the eyes with such sereneness, very unlike the paranoid and crazed man she'd first known him to be. She could only wonder at his soft smile as he said to her; "You look much better today"

"When yesterday all the bones in my body were broken?" she asked and coughed. The soft smile disappeared and he looked at her with that look again that set a grim drop in the mood once more. Therefore she added; "I would have to agree with you," and smiled. Suddenly, in their silence, her stomach began rumbling while both heard it.

"You must be hungry," he said while laughing at her blushing cheeks. He stood from the bed and offered her a hand. "Want to go get something to eat," he asked her with a smirk like the immature boy she'd heard of and what she suspected him to be, when not worrying about her; she took his hand, but suddenly noticed something.

"But… my clothes," she gestured towards the white nightgown she was still wearing. "No problem at all," Sirius said and withdrew a small package from his robes and handed it to her. When she unpacked it, she saw that it was clothes, similar to the Hogwarts robes, and with the big scarlet and gold-covered emblem on it. She let her finger rub over it gingerly, smiling at its familiarity. "That's the lion of Gryffindor; my house here on Hogwarts," Sirius strutted.

Hermione looked up at him once more; keeping it to herself with obvious enjoyment that she probably knew more about this school of Witchcraft and Wizardry than him and James together. She unfolded the robe and moved to take of her gown, but Sirius didn't give her any privacy. "Look, I know you're a boy, but please don't act like one for silly five minutes, please?" she said, making him blush slightly as he turned around. She grinned silently while muttering; "Git…" under her breath and moved to take of her gown.

When she finished putting on the black robe, she looked at the only thing missing on the bed, next to her discarded gown; the tie. She gave a quick glance towards Sirius but he was still patiently looking away. Being the know-it-all it was embarrassing that she didn't know how to put on a tie. One of the other girls from her dormitory had always done it for her. She took it up experimentally and put it around her neck, trying to bend her head so she could see how to tie it, but she was hopelessly frantic. Finally, when fidgeting around with it long enough, she whistled to Sirius for him to turn.

Sirius turned to look at her helpless eyes, begging him to come over and help her out of this mess she'd gotten into. Without a word he went over to stand in front of her, removing her hands gently and taking up the task of unravelling the tie she'd helplessly gotten stuck in. Hermione stood speechless, not able to fathom that he had such gentleness in him before Azkaban had formed the man she had come to know. She was also slightly aware of her heart pounding, standing in so close proximity, bordering on intimate.

"How can you not know how to tie a tie?" Sirius asked, almost done. He was most astonished that she hadn't moved away from him already, as she had been so eager to last night when Dumbledore had come in, but he didn't think it was a good idea to bring it up right now, especially because she wasn't pushing him away. 'His charms must've started taking effect' he thought to himself with a grin.

"I think I've forgotten…" she answered meekly, wanting to lean closer to him, but why she knew not. It was like he had put a spell on her. She was just about to act on her thoughts when he finally tightened the knot, letting go of her and stepping away, giving her an approving look.

"Hmm, you look good in my clothes," he remarked and noticed her shocked expression.

Hermione knew that she'd grown thinner during her bed-period and the clothes fit her comfortably. But she wasn't sure that she was too pleased to hear that they belonged to one Sirius Black. She could immediately smell him on her, a very discomforting notion as she became even more confused by her sped heartbeat and jumbled emotions. Sirius discarded it, thinking her grateful as most girls where in raptures to have something that belonged to him. He reached out a hand to help her walk; as he noticed she didn't look that steady on her legs anymore.

Hermione's shock had quickly been replaced by anger for him making her wear his clothes instead of bringing her breakfast in bed, so she knowingly ignored the hand and walked past him as fast as she could, trying to keep her balance. Sirius followed her, smiling brightly at her. "Just tell me if you need my help Lisa, kay?" he said, walking behind her.

"You have done quite enough Sirius" she said, sneezing indignantly at him.

**The Great Hall**

"Hey Lisa?" Sirius called at her, when she'd gotten a little ahead of him. They where almost in the Great Hall, actually standing in the doorway of it. "I forgot to tell you something," he said, suddenly looking nervous. "There's a Hogsmeade trip today, where we go to a village near the castle… It's loads of fun and I was wonderin'…" She could see him take a sigh for reassurance. "Some of my friends and I are going, and Lily will come to, so if you'd like to come with me-er, us?" He looked hopefully at her.

Hermione didn't know what to say and the time it took for her to make up a reply to his offer, made Sirius doubt that she even wanted to go, less than want to be with him. "You just woke up today, so it's okay if you'd rather rest. It was just an idea."

When he put it like that, she couldn't say no. She was feeling much better and yearned for a fresh breeze to blow in her face. She smiled at him, "I've been sleeping for months now, I don't think I could handle sleeping anymore," and with that, they entered the Great Hall together.

As soon as she entered the hall, she could see that nothing much had really changed. Everything was in it's rightful place, and it felt so much like coming home, that Hermione had to glance over at Sirius walking beside her to remind her that she was as far from home as she could be; a notion that oddly did nothing to discomfort her right now. She was just glad of being up and standing.

Sirius showed her straight to the Gryffindor table and sat himself beside her. Her serene countenance was soon broken though as she looked up to the enchanted ceiling and then lowered her eyes to one James Potter; currently stuffing his face with the whole morning breakfast. He glanced at her with no surprise whatsoever and gave her a, "Hi, good to see you're feeling better," which sounded more half-heartedly as he was in the middle of chewing a bagel.

Hermione only smiled at him.

"I heard Dumbledore came to see you yesterday," someone familiar said behind her. She looked around to see a very awake and tidy Remus stand with a steaming cup of coffee in one hand and a fresh edition of The Daily Prophet in the other.

"Hi Remus, yes he did actually. He came to give me a goodnight kiss for some reason…"

Remus folded the newspaper and sat down beside her. "That must be why you're feeling better today."

"…You honestly think so?" Hermione asked with interest. "Well…" Remus said, putting a hand under his chin, looking at James with absent eyes, "you should never underestimate him. He must be the most powerful wizard of our time," and added with a shrug as he took a sip of his coffee, "Well, except for Grindelweld that is"

Hermione had no reply to give him, except for her own internal thoughts. 'Yeah, you'd think he could survive anything, huh,' and quickly sealed of the beginnings of the memory of The Headmaster lying dead on the ground, all lifeless and all wrong.

"You're thinking what I'm thinking?" Sirius said behind them all of the sudden. James had stopped stuffing himself as he looked in Sirius's direction. "Yeah, I'm thinking," he grinned, conniving eyes telling Hermione that a prank was on the way. She followed their eyes towards the entrance, where a very young Severus Snape appeared. His black robes where worn, the black hair as greasy and long as she'd ever seen it as she watched her future professor stalk over to the Slytherins, seating himself beside a boy with a sharp contrast to his own: white and cold as ice: Lucius Malfoy, with a girl draped around his shoulders, much like Pansy Parkinson always hung around Draco whenever he felt like it. The girl could be no other than Narcissa Black. Instinctively Hermione looked away to glance at Sirius, but he wasn't watching her. "I say in Bottany Class tomorrow, we take Snivellus for a little stroll," and looked over at James who sat with a huge grin on his face. "What do you say Prongs?" and the latter gave a huge nod while looking almost hungrily at Snape who had pushed away all food around him with a look of disgust.

Hermione felt sick when she saw him. Felt even sicker when she saw Lucius, but most of all because of the memory that once more crept into her mind. She tried sealing it out, and remembered that even though Snape was cause for much grief and hatred, he hadn't done anything yet. She looked down at the croissant in front of her, but still feeling nauseous she pushed it away. "Oi, what are you doing Lisa?" James said in a disbelieving voice, "You won't eat that?" Hermione shook her head. "But its food, and you haven't eaten for who knows how long," he said, gesturing towards the length of the table, covered with all that was good and delicious. "I mean, you look ghastly so you'd better eat…" but stopped when he saw her look. He was just as miserable at mending the situation, now getting looks from both Sirius and Remus. "I mean, it's not like we're telling you to eat a Skrewt"

Before he knew anything of it, she had hit him over the head with a plate and stormed out of the Great Hall with a hand over her mouth, with no care for insecure legs, approving glances from the boys or the stinging looks from girls, as if she was a hero and had also committed a deadly sin.

Sirius roared with laughter as Remus grinned into his coffee, while James rubbed his forehead. "She sure does a good Lily," he said, winking at Sirius. Another golden plate soared through the air and hit him on the head again, and as James shrieked Remus watched the redhead slip out of the hall with her loose hair flying angrily in her wake.

This time Sirius sputtered out his juice and toppled beneath the table to the floor while grinning at his friend's misfortunes.

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**A/N I'm almost finished with the second part, so t****hat will be up very soon too. So, what can I improve? ;D**


	7. One Fine Day Part 2

Given to you from **Obsolete**

7th Chapter "One Fine Day – Part 2"

The snow was falling slowly and as big as petals in a fall storm, and from all around them they could hear happy voices of other students and snippets of Christmas carols getting carried in the wind. Hermione was feeling queasy still, but had the support of both Lily and Remus as they walked through trenches of deep snow. She was surprised at how weak she really was, and seeing James and Sirius totter about wasn't helping her mood. Just eyeing the jumping up and down in big trenches of snow was enough to make her feel nauseous again. Sometimes an off track snowball would come soaring towards them, but Remus just held up his wand and said, "_Incendio," _making the ball wash away. Then you'd hear a "Sorry!" carried by the wind and Lily began muttering curses and jinxes under her breath, training them with her wand.

"You really don't like him, do you?" Hermione asked, letting a sweaty hand run over her forehead.

Lily looked up for a second, "What?" she asked and looked towards the boys. "Oh, they're a pair of arrogant toerags, them," she answered spitefully. Hermione couldn't help but smile a little, when she thought of how different Lily'd feel towards James very soon. She noticed Lily looked distant at once by the mention of James and looked out into the wind, while Hermione kept her smile to herself.

"Lily?" Remus said all of the sudden, holding Hermione still for a moment. "I suddenly remembered that Professor Slughorn wanted a word. He's walking a little ways behind us" and with that, Lily hurried away, while Hermione scrutinized Remus's eyes.

"Slughorn didn't want a word, did he?" she asked very slowly, supporting herself heavily on Remus. He smiled at her, making yet another snowball wash away. "I can't say really, he always has something to say. Especially to Lily, since she's his favourite student. That is except for Snape," he answered and shot a disapproving look towards James.

"So why did you-" but he crossed her. "Oh, but Lily has got other things on her mind right now. I know what you're thinking, but if it wasn't for you she wouldn't be spending so much time with us," he said, getting a look from Hermione. "Believe me Lisa, I think they'd be a perfect couple, but James hasn't exactly gotten past his adolescence yet…"

"And Sirius isn't really helping is he?" she asked, receiving a nod from Remus. "I guess he's trying, but at this rate, we'll be long gone before she even credits him a glance," he smiled to her, but Hermione couldn't smile back. 'How can he be so spot on?' she thought to herself, watching him wonderingly, but he had turned to look head wards. "There it is, look Lisa. That's Hogsmeade right in front of us."

And looking past him, she saw the familiar sight of the little town, with its long broad street, with houses sitting on each side of the mountain ridge.

"Let's go," he said and helped Hermione as they inched their way down a steep hill and into the town. James had broken out into a run, following Sirius ahead of him. Within seconds, they both fell in the snow and toppled down the hill with a snowball effect, bumping into each other on the way. Hermione and Remus laughed, but their laughter was soon drowned out by the screams of worried girls, running past them and towards the boys who'd finally come to a halt at the end of the hill.

They were trying to get up but fell again when a mass of girls knocked the wind out of them, all fighting about who was gonna help them get up. Hermione and Remus could only look on at the hilarious scenario as they continued past the mass of girls and stuck boys. Lily had joined them again, and holding on to Hermione's arm, she stuck her tongue out towards the group, and proceeded by holding her head high with a smug smile on her face.

"Why don't we go to The Three Broomsticks first? If we're lucky we won't have to worry about James drooling over Madam Rosmerta and her daughter," she drawled out, looking sour. Remus was about to object, but followed the girls anyway.

"Hey Lily, thank you for helping me today," Hermione said earnestly and put a smile on Lily's face. "Oh that, that was nothing. James's a git for saying that to you," she said, fury rising in her flustered cheeks, while Hermione glanced at Remus. James's little comment about the Skrewt had been the last drop in the bucket and she'd had to run as not to vomit on him, even though that would have been a sweet – although disgusting – revenge. Lily had helped her to her feet after she'd been spending some time in the bathroom, and had helped getting her cleaned up afterwards.

They reached the Three Broomstricks and went in, finding a little corner in the back where Remus was gallant enough to ensure them three Butterbeers as soon as they sat down. "So," he started, "Why don't you tell us some more about yourself Lisa?"

Hermione didn't know where to begin, but soon found her voice, trying to keep as much to the truth as possible without revealing too much. "I don't remember much… I think I was at a Wizardry School before this, but I wasn't there when it happened…" she said and sat in silence, wondering what to say next.

"Maybe you didn't focus enough when you Disapparated…? But you don't remember, do you," Remus asked, looking at her compassionately. Hermione shook her head. Remus was about to say more, but was interrupted by the slam of doors and the great gust of cold wind blowing towards them. The shrunken heads by the entrance yelled at the two boys who'd just appeared, telling them to shut the door. They only grinned at them and walked over to Hermione, Remus and Lily and sat by their table.

"Oh, so you didn't get killed by the girls, huh? That's so sad," Lily said, looking out of the window, ignoring that James had sat himself beside her.

"No, got a lot of new names though…" James answered, scratching his head, ruffling his already wild hair. That earned him a slap as Lily took hold of Hermione's hand and dragged her out of the place with Hermione barely getting to let go of the mug before they where out in the cold again.

Lily stopped in the middle of the street, he cheeks flushed with anger as she looked at Hermione. "Sorry Lisa, but I really hate that guy. He really brings out the worst in me sometimes," she said mildly but suddenly her face lit up as she looked down the street. "Let's go into Honeydukes: then we can buy some chocolate for Remus! He'd really love that," and without further adieu, Hermione was once more dragged along by the redhead.

When they had been in the sweets shop for some time, Lily had gathered loads of chocolates and other colourful candies and was walking with Hermione to the counter, but someone cut in before them, and Hermione could suddenly recognised the broad back of Professor Slughorn. "How are you today, dear Ambrosia?" he piped and commenced in ordering a quantity of sweets that only justified his rightful size.

"Yes, and throw in a pair of Liquorice Wands, and some Sugar Quills. I'm so fond of those little Ice Mice so we'll have a pair of those too," and on he went, while Lily started tapping her foot impatiently.

Slughorn must have noticed as he turned around in mid-sentence to look at her. "Why, why, if it isn't my favourite student? Lily! You'll be top of my class again this year as I told you earlier!" he said enthusiastically, not even giving Hermione a glance, but before Lily could answer back, someone tapped Slughorn's shoulder and made him turn around again.

"Oh, I'm sorry Ambrosia. Yes and I'd like some lemon drops as well. You know very well how many!" he bellowed with laughter. "They're for Dumbledore they are, and you know he's a busy man, so I'm much obliged to run these little errands for him," he boasted in front of Ambrosia who looked at him with a kind smile, gently hurrying him out of the store after he'd paid her. As soon as he was out the door, he tapped the frostbitten window and waved at her, but she'd already turned her back to him.

She came back to the counter with a sigh and took the stack Lily's tired arms had been carrying. "You poor thing, having such a professor…" she said, throwing in some extra sugar quills for Lily with a little wink. "Here you go honey, and say hello to Remus from me!" she said as they walked out of the store with their bags of sweets. Hermione looked wonderingly at Lily. "What was that about?" she asked her.

"About Remus? Oh, he's just one of her favourite costumers. Whenever we're in Hogsmeade, he simply **has **to run by Honeydukes and have a chat with Ambrosia. He's always so sweet to her," Lily said, getting a soft look in her face. Before long they found a place to sit and chat.

It was ironic really, but whenever Harry had mentioned his mom, she'd imagine how she was like, but she'd never thought Lily to be so similar in behaviour and thought to herself. They talked for some time and had already consumed a whole bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans when Remus finally found them.

"If you where gonna run away, you could at least have taken me with you…" he said with a sad smile and spotted the bags from Honeydukes. "And you even went to Honeydukes without me…" he sighed and sat beside them.

Lily grabbed a bag and took out the chocolates she'd bought. "I'm sorry Remus, but I didn't forget you completely," she smiled while handing him the sweets. "And Ambrosia sends her regards…" Remus's face lit up and he took the candy out of her hands immediately.

"So… Where did you leave the other two?" Hermione asked carefully. Remus was distracted, but looked up anyway. "Oh, well… They ran into Madam Rosmerta on the way out and... Kinda stayed behind," he said, scratching his head. "I think Sirius was looking for you though…"

That worried Hermione, but she felt relief in the fact that since that morning in the Hospital Wing, they hadn't been alone together. She was slightly anxious at what would happen if she was left alone with notorious womanizer Sirius Black ever again. He moved fast whenever he saw a pretty girl, or so she could imagine from what Harry had told her about him, and she wasn't happy at all by the fact that he'd targeted her as the next one.

Suddenly a girl came over to talk to Lily, and once more she'd gone from sight and she was alone with Remus again.

He regarded her with a quiet look and then took her hand shyly. "I want to show you something Lisa," he said and got her to her feet. Hermione was a little stunned by him grabbing her hand, but didn't feel any discomfort by it really. He was just being friendly to her, as he lead her down High Street and onwards on a path that she already knew lead where.

Before long, they where standing not long from the house, in the exact same spot that Draco Malfoy had insulted her so long ago. "It's the Shrieking Shack," Remus said, looking at the building with unsearchable eyes. "It's the most haunted building in all of Britain they say…" Hermione looked at him. "Oh…"

This was where Remus had his monthly transformations to a werewolf. She knew from the rapport Snape had once given them for homework that the transformation from human to werewolf was difficult and painful and if the creature was isolated, it would become frustrated and hurt itself if unable to attack anything else. 'By now the others must have achieved their complete Animagus transformations,' she thought to herself. She looked over at him. It was apparent that he held much affection for the place: she could see it in his face, as he was unable to hide it.

Remus brow suddenly furrowed, as if he was thinking of something bad. She knew from what he'd told her that he loathed and feared his monthly transformations. The Wolfsbane Potion could have taken away his fears, but it had yet to be invented, and even though Hermione knew the theory in her head, she was quite sure she couldn't make it herself. For all her talents in Potions, she'd only heard of few that could actually make the potion: One of them being Severus Snape who was the only one of the staff at Hogwarts who was known to be able to brew it.

While thinking about the Wolfsbane Potion, her thoughts where drawn elsewhere: Remus Lupin was alone now, but in her own time he'd fallen in love with Sirius Blacks cousin Nymphadora Tonks. With a quick deciding of ages she calculated that by now Tonks was only 5 years old. It was weird to know that they'd once be a couple.

He noticed that she was staring at him and returned the look, making Hermione blush while she averted her eyes. "Let's go back and look for Lily," he said and took her hand again, and she followed obediently.

When they got back to High Street, Hermione saw Sirius and James inside Zonko's as they passed the shop, but Sirius had spotted her dead on and dragged his friend out of the store, much to James's disappointment. "Hey, we've been looking for you!" Sirius shouted, running towards them. He came to a halt in front of them and for a moment sent a questioning glance at Remus, which Remus only shrugged at. Sirius looked down at their entwined hands and then back at Remus, but before he could say anything, James had caught up. "Oi, what's the bloody hurry!?" he asked Sirius.

"It seems Mooney has been keeping Lisa company…" Sirius said slowly and looked at Remus with fury. James looked confused and kept sending both boys glances until he settled his eyes on Hermione. "You wouldn't happen to know where Lily is?" he asked, oblivious to anything else. Hermione shook her head quickly and kept her gaze locked at Sirius.

"Sirius?" she said, thankfully drawing his attention. "Can I talk to you for a moment?" she said and let go of Remus's hand while walking away. He followed her until they where out of earshot. "What is it Lisa?" he asked, all fury gone from his eyes. "I don't want you to be mad at Remus. He was only showing me The Shrieking Shack," Hermione said, with a serious tone in her voice.

"But you were holding hands and you were alone-"

"So? What exactly has that got to do with you Sirius?"

Sirius looked away for a moment, fighting to keep calm while trying to think of what to say as to not sound stupid, but his silence was too long. He could hear her sigh in front of him.

"You wanted to keep me for yourself didn't you?" she asked, her own temper rising rapidly.

"No, I didn- Well, I was the one who saved you-"

"Saved me? Yes I suppose you were, and although I'm very thankful to you for that, it doesn't mean that I'm yours! I can talk to other people: girls **and **boys if I want to," and then she took a little breather, continuing, "And while we're talking about being exclusive, who drooled over Rosmerta today!?"

Sirius didn't have an answer for that and kept his silence, just looking at her. Hermione panted but tried stilling her breath as the anger let go of her. "Sirius," she started. "You're a nice person, but I don't want to be 'yours.'" She waited for him to retort, but nothing came and they were still standing there. She was confused and got anxious with the ongoing silence, but looking up into his eyes didn't help at all. That same look of being lost had entered his eyes again, and she found that all she wanted to do was vanquish it so that look would never appear on his face again.

"…I'm sorry Lisa," he finally said, letting go of her gaze and walking away from her. She stood dumbfounded for a moment, but then turned to his receding form again, her anger refuelling.

"You dolt!" she shouted at him, and he turned around, obviously confused.

She walked towards him swiftly and stopped before him again. "Just because I don't want to be 'yours', doesn't mean that I want you to go away. We're talking about a thing that's way out in the future and I don't even know you that well, so stop playing hurt!" she said, but halted then instantly, partly shocked by the dazzling smile appearing on his face, but also by the fact of what had just come across her lips. 'Did I just say that I could get interested in Sirius Black?' she thought idly, getting scared by the sensations that thought awoke in her stomach.

Sirius said nothing. He knew she hadn't meant to say it like that – judging by her terrified look – but was happy all the same that she had. Without replying to what had just been uttered, he grabbed her hand and took one look at the sky, saying, "It's getting late," and walked her back towards the group. Hermione vaguely detected Lily behind Remus, while James was rubbing a hand-shaped mark on his cheek. Remus shot Sirius a curious look and looked grateful that he wasn't mad at him anymore.

From around them students where already turning their heads back towards Hogwarts, walking out of Hogsmeade. The snow had stopped falling for a short time and the howling wind had faded to a breeze, as if to grant them easy passageway home. With a short nod to the group they turned around too, following the crowd, with James lacking behind. "I hope supper's ready when we get there…" they could hear him say, but Hermione didn't laugh at it. She was too occupied with the fact that she was still letting Sirius hold her hand and the fact that in the fight of not being exclusive, she'd practically promised herself to him.

When they reached the familiar grounds of Hogwarts, she let go of his hand, letting herself get guided by Lily into the Great Hall where they had already begun eating, but she wasn't hungry at all.

Lily kept giving her worried glances, and when they where finished eating she quickly told Sirius of when he wanted to escort Hermione to bed. She called for Remus instead to show Hermione her quarters.

Like a spectator, she followed him through endless halls and up shifting staircases, vaguely hearing him say wonderingly, "They've given you quarters near the other teachers," while letting her eyes roll across canvas upon canvas, some paintings looking friendly and others not-so friendly.

Then Remus stopped by a door and turned to look at her. "Lisa?" and she replied by looking up at him. "These are your quarters. Are you okay?" he asked, searching her eyes for clues. She only nodded and went inside, whispering goodnight to him while closing the door.

Finally alone, she could let herself slip, as if she'd held her breath since saying those things to Sirius. Her frail legs gave way underneath her as her back glided down the door, until she was resting on the floor.

'I've given him hope, but why would I do such a thing?' she asked herself. She knew very well that it couldn't be, so why had she said the things she'd said? With all her might she tried to close of the questions bursting in her mind and dragged herself to a standing position. Slowly she made her way over to the bed and fell onto it, as if she'd never been able to walk at all and was just as sick as she'd been the night before.

'No, Dumbledore's magic doesn't last forever when even he doesn't,' she thought to herself and fell asleep.

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**A/N Okay, it might have ended a bit abrupt but it's late and I'll check it out later, kay? Good read everybody. Glad you fought your way through it ;D**

**Review…?**


	8. Pranks Come Back To Bite You In The Arse

**A/N I'm dashed, really. I never thought I could write this fast… I never actually believed that I would find ideas for this story at all. I guess my subconscious hides more of my fantasy than I knew of, cause I certainly didn't think I could make this! Perhaps it's you****r reviews that I'm really happy for receiving ******** They really serve to make my day ;D**

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Given to you from **Obsolete**

8th Chapter "Pranks Come Back to Bite You in the Arse"

When day came, she was sluggish and wanted nothing more but to stay in that bed forever, even though it wasn't that comfortable lying in. Hermione hadn't slept well at all. She'd been tossing and turning, throwing her covers around in her broken sleep and had woken up several times that night. 'No, the bed wasn't comfortable at all,' she thought to herself as she groaned at her tired form. With all of her strength she sat up right and looked around in the room that she hadn't cared to look at the night before. Draped with scarlet curtains and comfy carpets on the stone floor with a cold fireplace in front of her bed, she thought it looked a lot like the Gryffindor common room, but she took no comfort in it now as she had to close her eyes as the sting of sunlight hurt her eyes. It was like she hadn't slept at all.

She could feel a headache coming on as she rubbed at her eyes. A sudden _Knock _almost made her tumble out of the bed with a little shriek, as the redhead peeked into the room from behind the door. Peek

"Lisa… Are you awake yet?" she could hear Lily say timidly behind the door. She peeked around and watched with big eyes at her. "What's happened to you Lisa! You look aw-… sorry. You look like you could use some help getting ready…"

She stepped in and closed the door behind her. Hermione slid her legs out from the bed and moved to stand, only to fall back on the mattress again. She looked up to see if Lily'd seen, but she hadn't and she tried again. Her arms shook with the effort as she gave up and fell back on the bed. Hermione didn't know what made her do it: if it had been a bad night's sleep or the fact that she'd fallen down again after feeling so good the day before, but whatever made her do it was left pointless as she felt silent, cold tears slide down her cheeks and into her ears as she'd fallen back on the bed.

Lily didn't notice as she was rummaging through the closet to find robes for her. "McGonagall told me to take you to class today, so you'll have something to do while you're here," she said with her back to her. "And hey, if Dumbledore get's you sorted, it'd be wicked if you came to Gryffindor!" she exclaimed, turning around with a white shirt, only now seeing the girl crying openly on the bed.

"Lisa?" she asked, unsure what to do. Hermione cried even harder when hearing the name. Lily dropped the shirt while her mouth was left slightly open. With unsure steps she tripped her way over to the bed very slowly, sitting down beside her, just looking at her. Hermione couldn't even see her any more as the tears blurred her vision, but she felt when the weight shifted and she'd sat on the edge of the bed, and she felt when she lay down with her head near hers, gazing at her as Hermione's small sobs where the only thing to break the silent surface.

"What's wrong?" she whispered, holding out a hand while dragging Hermione to face her. Repeating her question, she tried with the same hand to wipe away her tears. Hermione was so close to burst. She wanted to tell her so badly who she really was, but the words wouldn't come. Her will was stronger than her feelings, so she kept silent as her tears slowed and finally stopped. In the mean time Lily had wrapped her arms around her, patting her on the back while keeping her own silence, but she didn't keep it.

"It's Sirius isn't it? He said something nasty to you yesterday didn't he?"

Hermione didn't know what else to say so she nodded. After a small silence she tried prying herself from Lily's soft embrace and sat up, the other girl doing the same. "I thought so. When you acted so weird on the way home from Hogsmeade and you didn't talk to anyone. Besides, we heard that you where arguing… The wind… well," Lily blushed at being caught in the eavesdropping, but then she looked up at her. "Are you gonna be okay now?" she asked.

Hermione nodded as she wiped away the rest of the tears, feeling rinsed after at least letting some of her frustration break loose. "I think I'm… hungry now…" she said, trying to get to her feet again, finding that she could this time. She smiled at Lily as she handed her the robes and Lily helped her put on her tie, and after that they left the room and walked hand in hand down to The Great Hall.

**Transfiguration Class**

She thought it kinda strange. As soon as she entered the classroom she absentmindedly searched for Sirius's grey eyes, but they weren't waiting for her. They where fixed on something else, and following his eyes direction, she saw them fixed on Severus Snape, sitting at the window by himself: a seat between him and the other students. As soon as Hermione and Lily entered the classroom, he sent a glance towards them, like he was looking for someone, but disappointment clouded his face and he turned away again, his head sinking deep into the book in front of him.

Hermione and Lily sat far away from Sirius and James, up in front of the teacher's desk which was adorned with a dark, striped cat. Hermione already knew that it was McGonagall sitting there, as Lily whispered it in her ear. As the door closed, the cat took a look around the whole room as to be sure that no one was missing. Then it sprang forward and transformed into a woman that Hermione recognised well, though it was younger as everything else.

"Though it is quite unusual, we have with us today… a new student," she started and made a move for Hermione to stand. "This is Lisa Turpin and she'll be joining this class temporarily as she is a guest here, and wishes to learn how we teach here at Hogwarts," and with that she lowered her hand to make Hermione sit again.

"Today, we'll be rehearsing your Transfiguration skills. Though you may not have control of it yet, you will in given time. So start with something simple and as you progress, you will move on to bigger and harder objects," she said, walking around to sit at her desk. "You may divide into groups and start."

All commotion broke loose in the classroom while Hermione kept her hand tightly in Lily's as if someone would come steal her away. The sealing of hands caught the notice of several people, including Severus Snape, but he kept to his window, keeping far away from anyone.

Hermione felt better instantly as they started practising. Though she didn't have a bad class, Transfiguration was one of her favourite subjects. Lily took a peek at her table and turned it into a rabbit with ease. Hermione grinned at her as her wand shot out a spark, turning the rabbit into a hat. While practising, Hermione glanced around the room. Sirius, James and Remus where grouped together, turning each other into hilarious creatures, one by one.

Suddenly they could hear something blow up. An unfortunate boy had made his schoolbag explode and now papers flew all over the room. Lily immediately tried getting the bits of the boy's books back together by swift use of her wand as other's started doing everything else than what they should really be doing. Students squealed in delight as they hopped around in the snow of paper, ignorant to Lily who was actually trying to help.

Hermione would also have sprung to the boy's aid if she hadn't been stopped by a hand. She turned around, seeing Remus smiling down at her. He gestured towards Lily and as Hermione turned her head, she saw with great surprise the most unlikely one to be helping Lily and the boy clean up the mess of the explosion. James was jumping around like an idiot, grabbing the pages, snatching them from students and turning transfigured birds back into paper. The act even struck Lily silent as she turned to stare at him and before you could say, "Quidditch" the boy had gotten his quills back, the schoolbag was repaired with a few flicks of James's wand and pages soared together to recreate books that floated neatly into the boy's open arms.

Everyone had gone silent as they'd watched James in his concentration, and when finished he finally noticed the looks he was getting and smiled charmingly, ruffling his already dishevelled hair. He looked at Lily with a soft look that seemed to melt her past anger towards him.

Hermione smiled knowingly to Remus as they watched James grab one last page and step forward to hand it to Lily who looked like she was gonna hug him if he just got close enough. Hermione even noticed a little smile appear on her lips as she gazed, seemingly lost, into his eyes.

The moment was broken though when Snape shut one of his books, looking up as if he hadn't even noticed the commotion, but it didn't break the look on Lily's face for the rest of that class. 'Amazing how fast things can change', Hernione thought to herself as she sat down beside her, not really listening to McGonagall as she explained the proper way to perform the spells they where working on as to avoid another such accident. James was of course applauded for his excellent skill and use of magic and given ten points to Gryffindor.

**Dumbledore's Office**

Hermione sat down in one of the chairs as she looked wonderingly at Fawkes, resting on its pole. Before Hermione could get out of the classroom with Lily, Professor McGonagall had called her back in, telling her to go to The Headmaster's office. Dumbledore was writing something on some parchment and put it down after a moment, giving her a searching glance.

"Now, I know I've been so rude as to take you away from your lessons, but I wouldn't have done so without a good reason," he said. "I have to ask you Miss Turpin, if you know anyone you've met here in this time, in your future life," he followed, speaking gravely.

Hermione's mouth fell open. "Well," she started, disbelieving. "I know a lot of people from besides Mrs. Pomfrey and you sir. I know McGonagall and a lot of people who are only students now…"

"And these people. Have they any knowledge of you in the future?"

She could only nod, and as if he had guessed her mind, he said, "Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Lily Evans and James Potter, yes?"

"And more…" she said meekly, making Dumbledore raise an eyebrow. "Peter Pettigrew and Sna- Severus Snape…" She looked down as she mentioned them. She could hear Dumbledore standing from his chair, and looking up at him, she saw him move around his desk to sit in front of her.

"Hermione," he started, receiving her full attention. "Getting close to any of these people could be very dangerous and could give you great cause of hurt…" He looked deep in thought as he stood once more, walking past her and out into the middle of the floor. He lifted a hand and looked at it. A white mouse appeared, sitting calmly while sniffing the palm of his hand. Hermione looked wonderingly towards the headmaster as he conjured a silver line floating in the air.

"If one follows a path such as yours," he said, putting the mouse on the line. It seemed sure to fall as it took tiny steps along the line, shaking in obvious fear. "One has to be cautious, afraid, but steadfast. And even though the path is hard to tread, you'll still have to as one cannot stop time. But, if it should happen that you start faltering," and the mouse trembled even more as Dumbledore watched it silently, "and you lose your balance," by now it had stumbled and was holding on with tiny feet to the thin string of silver, "and let go," the mouse fell back into the palm of his hand, "… There is a hand to catch this mouse, but there's no one to catch you," he finished, letting the mouse wander up his sleeve and sit on his shoulder. He looked over to the scared girl with his head bowed, watching her over his moon-shaped spectacles. With compassion in his eyes he walked over to her, letting a hand rest on her shoulder comfortingly. "You will have to choose between what is right and what is easy," he finished, giving her shoulder a squeeze.

Hermione let out a breath she hadn't even known she'd been holding.

**Herbology Class**

It felt like she was sleepwalking as she kept by a slightly crazed Lily's side as they walked down the stairs into one of the inner gardens of Hogwarts. Centred were several great hothouses with steamed windowpanes, obscuring whatever dark and green things that lay beyond. As soon as they entered through the doors of the biggest house, Hermione felt steam stick to her skin as her robes got clammy within seconds in the hot air. The long successions of students where hiking through a jungle of all sorts of plants, bushel and trees, trying to keep to a very thin path. Hermione could spot Professor Sprout in a clearing a little ways ahead, hurrying the arriving students along so she could commence with the class.

As they got to the clearing all students gathered around the witch. Hermione was vaguely aware of the Proffesor saying, that they where to study a Tentacular today, but she couldn't get her head in the game and force herself to listen. Dumbledore's words kept swirling around in her head as she looked at Lily who kept searching for James in the crowd, standing tiptoe to spot him. Suddenly Hermione thought in a moment of clearness in her mind that with what she'd just been told in The Headmaster's Office, she shouldn't even be standing with Lily.

"I, I can't see him anywhere…" Lily muttered almost desperately. She started going through the crowd and left Hermione standing alone.

Hermione didn't want to change anything about her and James getting together, so she kept her feet rooted to the spot. Even when the class moved after the Professor to see this amazing Tentacular, she kept standing where she stood. Lily had gone with the crowd it seemed, and she sighed, thinking that she'd just leave and go to her own quarters and just stay in there. She would spend the days in her own solitude and forget that she ever had a true friend in Lily Evans. She would forget that she'd ever known how Harry's father behaved in his teenage years. She'd forget ever setting eyes on Sirius, forget feeling so unnerved in his presence, like he could see all the secrets she bore on her very soul.

She'd forget everything and await until the day Dumbledore knocked on the door and told her that he'd found a way home, but before she could turn her nose towards the exit, she was distracted by some noise in the opposite direction that the class had gone.

Without thinking about it, she went to explore it, and soon as she'd turned a corner, she could hear that the noise was of human origin. And as she brushed a few branches aside and neared her destination, she could hear a vague familiarity in those boyish voices. With shock, she realized that it was James talking to someone, and Sirius was there too… She immediately forgot all about going back as she then heard **who **it was that they where talking with.

"_What's wrong Snivellus? Why don't you hex us when you know you want to?"_

She almost didn't recognize the voice of James Potter with all the malice it was drenched in, and for a moment, Snape's panicking bead-like eyes flashed before her eyes. She went forward with more fervour to her steps, determined to bring an end to it.

"_Yeah, Expelliarmus! _

She could hear something flying through the air close by, falling deftly on the earth, and as she heard Sirius disarming him, she felt her anger rising rapidly.

_See? That's much better, now it wont be embarrassing when you don't have your wand on you"_

Finally Hermione turned another corner and saw the two boys walking slowly towards a wandless Severus Snape who was backing away from them. She stood still for a moment, taking in the scene, controlling her anger while she stepped forward and then came to a sudden halt. Something was moving behind the panicking Slytherin. Long tentacles stealthily sneaked their way towards Snape's legs and he was unknowingly backing right into them. She was about to shout at him when he stumbled backwards, falling heavily to the ground with his robes flailing about. In seconds, he too realized as Hermione had, just what he'd fallen on, it was apparent even in the distance as the white of his eyes was alike that of his unusual pale face.

Hermione could only whisper the name, "Devil's Snare…" as she stood rooted to the spot, in absolute shock as to what was happening right in front of her. Securely and, slowly snares latched themselves to his legs and arms, dragging him into the deep end of the forest where all was dark. Sirius and James had stopped advancing on him and merely took to watching as Snape was pulled further and further away from them. Hermione could see the panic in his face as he struggled wildly against the dead plant's grip, fumbling for anything to impale it. She was quite certain that he knew that light was the only way to repel the terrible creature, but without a wand he was left helpless…

Hermione itched for her wand, but then Dumbledore's words sounded through her mind again. 'Was this supposed to happen?' she asked herself, watching Snape's head disappearing. The things he'd done, the resulting pain stabbing through her heart like a locked up memory seeped into her thoughts and consumed her for a moment, but he hadn't done it yet. He hadn't become a murderer… It took seconds before Hermione finally let her fear drop after long time's hesitation and groped for her wand, but someone got there before she did.

"_Petrificus Totalus!" _someone shouted and followed with, "_Incendio!_"

Hermione saw white jets of light fly close past her head and hit the two boys so they fell stone-like to the floor and flames erupted on The Devil Snare as it let go of Snape. He stumbled away from it and past the boys, panting wildly as he looked at Hermione. She could see his eyes widen in surprise and discovered that it wasn't her he was actually looking at. She instantly turned to see who had shot the hexes, but there was nothing there but jungle.

Whoever that had saved Severus Snape had vanished.

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**A/N Well, will anyone venture a guess as to why just saved Severus Snape? I'd love to hear ****it! You'll have to thank xpotcluver94x and Manic-Cheese-Fairy for the re-edited and slightly longer part containing The Herbology Class :D Thanks guys, still writing, but taking it slower as the sugar hype's wearing off...**


	9. The Lily's Tale

**A/N**** Really guys, thanks for the reviews and the critique. I still hope that one bit in last chapter has improved so thanks again to those who were brave enough to stand their head tall and tell me that something just wasn't right!**

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Given to you from **Obsolete**

9th Chapter "The Lily's Tale"

She was finishing her assignment, sitting at her desk as she thought of the day's many events. Chewing gently on her sugar quill, she recalled the fun many people had had when seeing James and Sirius being levitated to the Hospital Wing for further examination. Snape hadn't told any professor what they had done, which was oddly noble of him, even though Hermione had a very hard time thinking anything about his persona noble. He might as well use it to blackmail them later, but for now, it remained only a humiliating incident for the two Marauders as they had mysteriously stumbled on each other, and had somehow both cried out the hex that had petrified their bodies. A very unbelievable story, but Sprout was too nice of a Professor to ever punish or give detentions to any of her students, so they got away with it.

She hadn't seen them for the rest of that day, and after the episode, she'd tried to avoid meeting Lily as best possible, taking Dumbledore's words into account. The parchment was full now and she signed it with her name and put the essay into her schoolbag for tomorrow. She yawned while stretching her arms over her head. It had been a long and tiring day where much had happened to confuse her even more, and she couldn't think of anything more comfortable at that precise moment than plummeting into the depths of her bed and never leave the simplicity of it.

So she stumbled towards it, throwing her robes on a chair and jumping towards the bed in the attempt to remove one of her socks, but suddenly a heavy _Knock! _sounded on her door: catching her surprised as she swayed for a moment and then fell backwards with her legs flying into the air.

The familiar redhead peaked her head past the door and noticed the girl flailing about, caught up in her sheets while trying to sit up. "Lisa, what are you doing?" she asked with silent amusement as the girl finally got to sit up. Hermione looked confusedly at Lily, wanting to ask her the same question, but opening her mouth to speak she fell silent by the look on Lily's face. 'Why is she grinning?', Hermione asked herself, oblivious to the fact that she was holding one of her socks up in the air. She finally noticed it and chucked it under her pillow, giving Lily a nervous chuckle.

"Ehh, so what are you doing here Lily? It's rather late and we do have classes tomorrow…" her voice faded when her comment struck home. Lily looked unsure as to what she was doing there. Hermione even saw her fidget with her hair, keeping her eyes averted from hers, obviously trying to think up an excuse.

Hermione thought about Dumbledore's words, and contemplated dismissing Lily for a moment but she couldn't when faced with her begging eyes, confused and lost. Therefore Hermione only sighed and padded the bed to beckon Lily to sit.

Lily looked at her gratefully and went over to sit; her eyes still averted most of the time. Some silence went on between them as Hermione thought of how Lily'd been there for her this very same morning. The fact that she'd even went as far as to comfort her when she'd broken down into tears was more than enough to convince Hermione of doing the same for her, despite the warnings in the back of her head.

"Lily? You wouldn't come unless something's wrong, so what is it?"

Her green eyes met hers for a moment and plummeted while she fingered the hem of a sleeve. Hermione could only wait for her to voice her thoughts and finally she started; her voice unsure and broken.

"Well… You see-what happened today…There's always been…I…" she stopped her blabbering nonsense to catch a sigh and looked up at Hermione. "I…was the one that did it…" she said, looking like she would die if she had to elaborate. Hermione was a little confused, but then she realized it. A chilling sensation coursed through her body all of the sudden as Snape's saviour stood forward, and she felt cold, shuddering from the revelation. Her breathing quickened slightly as she met Lilys green eyes disbelievingly.

"But how could you… You were looking for James, and he-"

"Don't say that bloody git's name!" Lily exclaimed violently, surprising Hermione and herself with the force of it. It gave Hermione time to run things through her head. She'd been close to help Snape as well, but she hadn't been quick enough about it, and even though she knew it wasn't right for him to suffer for something he had yet to do, the simple thought of it being Lily, Harry's own mother that had saved that despicable man… It made her almost want to vomit as she saw the image of a motionless Headmaster on the ground beside the Astronomy Tower.

"…Sorry…", Lily whispered as she hesitantly reached for one of Hermione's hands. Hermione focused with great effort on that hand, caging the memory far away in her mind while trying to find something plausible to say to this heartbroken girl, but no words came. Instead she looked up again to Lily, trying her best to give a reassuring smile. It was effective enough.

"What he did was unbelievable, after being so nice this morning, he'd go and do something that cruel…" Lily said silently, referring to James. "And just as I'd thought he'd actually change for the better he goes and hurts one of my best friends…" But by then, her voice had become very small indeed, so faint that Hermione couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her breathing quickened as her thoughts pummelled together, asking all sorts of foreboding questions. "Snape… Is your best friend…?" she asked, looking up with the hope of it not being true, but she received a nod.

"I know Severus is a Slytherin, and there's always been this huge barrier between the two houses, but I…" she started, getting a passionate light in her green eyes. "Sev's been my friend since I can remember. He was the one to tell me that I was a witch and he understands me like no boy ever did. He's always been there for me, so I'm there for him always…" she looked back to Hermione, grabbing her hand. "I wasn't looking for James in the hothouse – The boys had been talking about pranking Snape yesterday and it was him I was looking for. I was worried he wouldn't be able to defend himself against the two of them… Even though he's better at duelling than I am, he doesn't have the cruelty to actually hurt someone, not like _Potter," _she spat, startling Hermione.

She was at a loss for words. Lily Evans really hated him, James Potter; future husband. 'Is it really supposed to be like this?' Hermione thought to herself, straining her mind to think of any reason Lily would ever be convinced of becoming attracted to James. And she found nothing. She looked up into those trusting green eyes and saw something, out of place, and she decided to take a chance.

"Do you love him?"

Lily dropped Hermione's hand immediately, looking taken aback somewhat. Her hair fell forwards to cover her face in the dim light, hiding her wide eyes. Seconds passed as she tried to find her voice again, but the silence only assured Hermione of the fact she could not say herself.

"…Severus will always be part of my life," she said strangely, while making Hermione's heart plummet deeper. "But…"

Hermione met Lily's green eyes again and saw something once again out of place. She looked as if she was going to die when she told whatever secret that was burning on her lips and eyes, and Hermione felt her hand getting clenched by Lily's but did nothing to prevent her from crushing it; to anxious to find what her next words where to be.

"I can't figure it out Lisa…" she started, her eyes shinning in the light from the fire; watering with unshed tears.

"How can you be attracted to someone who shows no affection, and to someone that you absolutely despise?" The girl whispered with serenity etched over her face, letting her tears fall down her cheeks, looking as if she was in a terrible place where nightmares where watched with eyes wide open. "How is that even possible?"

After the revelation, silence fell between the two of them, only interrupted by a sob now and then. Hermione didn't know what to do as her hand had fallen limp in Lily's and eventually she'd dropped it. 'She was attracted to Severus Snape…' Hermione thought, and even though she'd also admitted to be attracted to that git James, it was a much lesser jubilation put beside what raced through her mind.

Severus Snape, presumably former Death Eater who'd killed Albus Dumbledore without hesitation. Severus Snape who was cold and brilliant and frightening. Severus Snape, who had walked among them for so many years with them all unknowing as to where his real alliance lay.

Hermione vaguely saw the girl weeping openly in front of her and felt a great wave of pity flood through her emotions. Without saying anything she raised her hand to grip Lily's wrist and pulled her forward to hug her. Lily gasped slightly but soon went into a full-blown wave of fresh tears, clutching her hands to Hermione like she was the only thing keeping her from falling down.

Hermione could only whisper calming words in her ear while brushing the girl's hair while holding her with the other. While doing this, she thought about the things that Lily had just revealed to her.

"That's horrible…"

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**A/N …You don't like me that much now, do ya? I know it's short and I had planned it longer but a writer can also be terribly wrong sometimes, no? Just shows I'm human after all and not a speedy, out-of-this-world writer, even though there's nothing wrong with those! I can say that I quite like them ;)**

**I did an edit of the last chapter's herbology class, so it's a little longer, and thanks for reading and the reviews. So, until next time which I'm afraid will be for some while, since I'm very busy with other mindnumbing things. If it where up to me, one should never be so busy that they had to put fanfiction at a low priority. I know I'll be back, I just don't know when precisely...**


	10. Watching Him Sleep

**A/N ****Ahh, this is sort of embarrassing, it's been so long… But I can assure you that it wont be long now before I'm back writing regularly since I'm graduating in about two months time. This chapter is for everyone who's ever read this. I fear I might sound to sappy when I say to you all; I really love you guys! Please, enjoy :D**

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Given to you from **Obsolete**

10th Chapter "Watching Him Sleep"

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Her shoes gave a subdued _clank_ on the floors as she walked in silence down the hallways. Light filtered in from the high windows and where reflected by the dusty surface of every armoured body standing by the walls. It was still very early to be out of the dormitories, even more so being out of your comfy bed, but Hermione felt the urging to go on, felt a responsibility to go see that person who'd done the very same for her when she'd been ill.

Her fingers latched onto a corner as she stopped for a moment. She recalled what Dumbledore had told her once more; the mouse fell through the air and was caught in Dumbledore's hand, but no one would catch _her_ if she stumbled. It was her own responsibility that weighed down on her shoulders, as to not make the mistake of heading to The Hospital Wing to see the man she knew was dead in her own time. She started walking again. Whatever the consequences might be, she still had enough self respect to repay a good deed, even though that same boy didn't deserve it. The door creaked loudly in the silence as she hesitantly stepped inside. She walked slowly, nervous of making too much sound. The curtains where drawn on most of the beds and she sensed the emptiness of the place. She was surprised by a huge snore and moved over to one of the curtains, slowly drawing it open.

The sight made her sigh as she always did. It was James, drooling in his own saliva while hugging his pillow fiercely. He only needed to put a thumb into his mouth to make it picture perfect. Hermione turned away from the odd sight, leaving the curtain where it was. Her eyes searched the rest of the room and scrutinized every white linen curtain, as if she could see him from behind it. She moved over to another curtain and let her hand rest there for a moment, hesitating for a mere second before she drew it open. If it was pure luck, she did not know, but someone was lying there and it was definitely Sirius Black. She could recognise the scent of him and moved to his bedside. The head was turned into the pillow, but she could see he was sleeping because of his very slow breathing. The fact that she could now eye him intently was a thing she took full advantage of, since he'd probably seen his share of her during all those months of recovering. It was exciting and a bit frightening, since she could clearly see the change in his form and figure from the man she knew that was somewhat older than the young boy in bed. He was… still him, except in better shape and with better hair, but even though she was looking at him like this now, noticing all these little details in his appearance, it still couldn't dawn on her that he was actually there.

Hermione's brow furrowed as she moved over to his head and let a hand trail the edge of the bed as she went. The same hand went to rest on the pillow he was sleeping on and it moved closer to his head. Those long tresses of jet-black hair looked so inviting to the touch, and she couldn't hesitate long enough before her fingers where on it, gently touching what she realised was just as soft as she'd imagined. A sudden groan surprised her as she withdrew her hand and turned around, already burning with the sensation of touching him. It showed in her face.

"Lisa… What are you doing here?" she heard him ask with a voice drunk of sleep. She took a long breath and turned around, putting on a little smile. "Well, I don't really know, because last I checked, I was the one lying in the sickbed, not you," she said, trying to be as nonchalant as possible. Sirius put a hand to his face, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "What time is it? Shouldn't you be at class now?" he asked, looking down the hallway. Hermione shook her head. "McGonagall let me come, seeing as you've obviously been doing the same for me. She trusts that I can only be a good influence to you," she said fingering the linen cloth of the bed, trying not to look at him.

"It's too soon for us to meet this way again."

"It's the only way we meet," Hermione answered with a little more ease. It made Sirius give a little chuckle as he sat up in the bed, looking straight ahead. "What's wrong with him?" he suddenly asked, making Hermione turn around to watch the other side of the room. The curtain hadn't been closed and the saliva dropping, pillow-sucking James Potter was in place for everyone to see. "I think Madame Pomfrey did all she could, but he'll still be feeling some of the after effects. Lily dropped you both kind'a hard…" Hermione said, suddenly remembering what her friend had told her in secret the day before. Lily might like James and all, but she sure didn't hesitate to hurt him when the time came to chose between the men in her life. The thought both frightened her and made her wonder if hurting someone, wasn't really just a way of telling them that there really was an attraction. Her eyes became distant and Sirius couldn't help but notice when he looked at her after sitting up.

"Lisa, are you okay? She didn't hit you or anything, did she?" he asked, a worried look plastered on his face. Hermione was taken out of her reverie, letting it go for the moment and concentrating on Sirius. "You knew I was there?" she asked, a little befuddled. "Well, you where the last thing I saw before I blacked out. I actually thought it was you who'd stopped us, but that would really have confused the hell out of me," he said, scratching the back of his head, giving her a charming smile.

Hermione thought it best to act unknowing for good measure. She asked Sirius why. "Well, Lily is nice and all, but she's very keen on protecting a certain little Slytherin we both know of. She has to have told you," Sirius said, continuing; "she is always hanging around him and you can't see him in Potions without her popping up beside him. It's disgusting," Sirius finished, grimacing. Hermione could only agree with his very agreeable statement, but then again; Snape hadn't done anything wrong yet. It was very easy to forget that fact, but then again, he was only a kid, but Hermione was sure that inside he was very much different. Hermione looked up at Sirius, who was currently checking the state of his hair, obviously worried that Lily might have seared some of it off when she attacked him. She thought long and hard before she asked the question, worried about the consequences.

"Do you think he likes him?" she asked, just as if she'd grabbed the question out of thin air. Sirius focused immediately. "Lily liking a Slytherin like Snivellus? That'd be the end of the world as we know it," he answered, throwing his arms in the air to accentuate his point. "Lily would never do that. He's just a partner in Potions. She couldn't possibly be thinking of it, because it is against our Code…" By now Sirius's voice suddenly ebbed out.

"What Code, the Gryffindor's Code?" Hermione asked, suddenly interested in his weird behaviour. Sirius nodded animatedly, trying to hide his mishap, but he was as terrible a liar as he was handsome. He didn't know, but she knew him to well. "Somehow I don't believe you, what Code?" she asked once more. Sirius sighed, hitting himself in the head and then he focused on her and started to talk. "There's a group called The Marauders within the walls of Gryffindor. It has very few members and I'm one of them. Lily's just been there for a couple of days actually. Somehow she lurked the secret out of Mooneyand then all hell broke lose. She wanted to join but she didn't want to tell us why, but anyway, she joined and swore to keep to the Code even though she wasn't much for it…"

Hermione waited for him to explain the rest, but he looked as if he thought himself finished. "And? What's the Code then?" she asked, a bit annoyed. "Oh, well, our Code consists of really, well just the one rule… never associate with Slytherins or anything that has to do with the Dark Arts…" he answered, a bit embarrassed.

"You really thought it through didn't you?" Hermione said, very unimpressed by his almighty Code and the man she'd come to know. Sirius stared at her for a moment, and suddenly he put his head forward and spoke with such passion, that it overwhelmed Hermione so much, she gasped. "It doesn't need to be anymore complicated than that. Everything that little Slytherin puts his hands on gets ruined. Besides, we've seen him lurking about in the forbidden corridor of the library, and you can see in his eyes that he's fascinated by the Dark Arts. I need no more reason to hate him than that," Sirius finished.

Hermione sat quietly on the side of the bed, wondering if she should even attempt asking the next question. "I'm not trying to give any offence, but why do you harbour such hate towards the Dark Arts?" she asked, anxious for the answer even though she'd read the story in the newspapers all too many times. She still wanted to hear his side of the story, especially because she was fascinated by him speaking with such passion.

"You don't…" he said, surprise showing in his face. "You've never heard of the Black family have you?" he asked, and she nodded, keeping the façade. "Well, there's not much to say, they're one of the largest families with the darkest history concerning the Dark Arts. You can hardly open a History book without hearing mention of a member from the Black family collaborating with the side of Evil…" The boy looked up at her for a moment before going on. He spoke with a dejected voice, like it was some story he'd recounted many times.

"As you've probably noticed it's my own family I'm talking about. And when it concerns them, I'm an outcast, because I broke tradition when the Sorting Hat told me that I belonged in Gryffindor instead of Slytherin where everyone expected me to go. You see, they're purebloods, and anyone who isn't, are like vermin in their eyes. The way they look at a place like Gryffindor, it's just a tower filled with worthless vermin that should be incinerated off the face of the earth. And that as soon as possible. You see, they don't get that someone who's part muggle, can even have magic running through their veins, because they're already tainted with something that's not pure in their opinion, like muggles are from another world entirely who's just festering on and mixing with purebloods to accomplish some kind of revenge. It's insane really."

By now she thought that he didn't even recognise her anymore, that she was muggleborn, that she was watching him with an open mouth. It was weird to see him talking like this, because he wasn't that much of a talker in his elder years, and the way he seemed to understand what his family was all about, was disturbing. It was as if he didn't recognise himself as a pureblood and he tried to distance himself from it all the time, but he didn't quite realize how much he talked like them, how much he really understood.

"You see, purebloods actually believe that muggles conspire to bring down the world of magic, and they will do so by mixing the races, mixing purebloods and muggles, bringing an end to magic," he finished, throwing his hands in the air, while shaking his head slowly. He met her eyes. "My last name might be Black, but it doesn't say what and who I am. I have no desire of being associated with them at all."

Hermione nodded slowly. "But you still live with them don't you?" she asked slowly. He answered with a disbelieving smile, "Of course I don't live with them. I wouldn't even if they wanted me to, and they don't, of course."

"Where do you live?"

"James' parents where gracious enough to invite me into their home. I live with them when I'm not here."

She nodded again, feeling that he was becoming distant, like she'd opened a door he'd tried to shut for a long time, and he was silent for some time. She fingered the linen, not really knowing what to say. She was just about to decide to leave because of the weird atmosphere between them when he took her completely by surprise. He put his hand over hers, resting it there for a moment, giving it light squeeze. She looked up at him and he was smiling like she'd never seen him smile before.

"Thank you for visiting me Lisa," he said with a warm voice that made Hermione melt inwardly. "It's not everyday you have a girl worry over you when you're in the Hospital Wing."

She laughed. "Well, you really did bring it on yourself y'know? You really shouldn't try to cross Lily by attacking her best friend."

"We weren't attacking him and besides, she's not going to be his best friend for that long anymore. James certainly wouldn't allow it when he get's his hands on her."

"I think he's playing with fire," Hermione said, brightening up because Sirius also thought that James and Lily should get together. "With the way he's been acting, it's no wonder he gets himself into trouble with her all the time. He should just try to…" she said, suddenly hesitating with the next words, "…Take the good with the bad…" Sirius' eyebrow creased as he looked at her intently. "You don't believe that do you?" he said, figuring out instantly that she was biased about what to do too.

She looked up at him, surprised. "You're right. I think it's wrong for them to be friends. He doesn't look like a person you could trust. But then again, James really has to put up a better act to show her that he likes her."

This apparently made Sirius laugh in joy, all signs of their previous conversation gone in a flash as he sat up even straighter, almost clapping his hands with joy, not able to hide the big grin that appeared on his face. "Wow, that sounds very much like I just gained another accomplice! This is great, now it's Remus, you and me! We'll have them hitched before the next full moon with this team!" he almost shouted. Hermione hushed him when they heard a loud grunt from the other side of the room. They sat silent until James started to snore again and Hermione quickly removed the hand she'd held against his lips, her face getting a bit flushed. When she met his face again, he was staring at her intently, his head crooked slightly to the side with a wondering brow.

It made her heart beat faster all of the sudden watching him. Without giving her mind the time to process what was currently occurring, she stood from the side of the bed, suddenly very self aware that her personal space was invaded by his hand still on hers. She hadn't even noticed it until it wasn't there anymore.

"Lisa? You okay?" he asked, still with the hint of a smile and a glint in his eyes, like he knew the effect he had on girls. It suddenly angered her that she could be like that, that he could read her so easily, and without much use of will-power she controlled her heartbeat and looked at him with a small, fake smile. "No, everything's fine. I'll see you tomorrow Sirius," and with that she turned around, not waiting for a reply, leaving the Hospital Wing behind along with a slightly confused Sirius Black.

No, she was fine right up until she came out and closed the doors to the Hospital Wing. A hand went to where her heart was, and she could feel it pounding beneath it, like she'd just run up the stairs of the entire castle. She sighed, looking into the wall, thinking to herself, 'what have I done to deserve this…'

She shook her head, trying to remember where she was supposed to be at that hour. It was, it was… almost time for Potions, and she was very far from where she was supposed to be. Forgetting everything about what had just occurred in the last hour or so, she set out into a sprint, hair and robes flailing behind her as the last thing on her mind was that of Sirius Black. She had classes to attend to, and those where far more important than wanting to experience more of that feeling she'd gotten in her gut when he'd touched her and held her hand in his, flashing her his best and most genuine smile. She shook her head again, no, he was certainly the last thing she needed to think about, or so she thought.

* * *

**A/N Well, I can see why I needed to finish that other story that was a tribute to the Severus/Lily relationship, because I'm not going to be very nice to him in this one. ****You all know what happens, and of course I'm gonna write what's supposed to happen, no surprise there sorry. But Rowling only stated the destination, so I'm free to plan the journey there. It's going to be a crazy ride, and it's gonna get complicated (If I'm not making it that already, I guess I have a thing for IRONY).**

**Until next time my fellow fanfictioneers, love and kisses!**

**Kogoro ;D**


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